Hi -- We're resending the email below because the Gaza Health Ministry just announced that the death toll in Gaza has reached 40,000, and we must keep pushing to demand a ceasefire now. Hi, Last Friday, the Biden administration approved $3.5 billion in military aid to Israel.1 Just hours later, the Israeli Defense Forces bombed a school-turned-shelter in Gaza, killing more than 100 people. Paramedics on the scene described the bodies of women and children "ripped to pieces."2 At the same time, half a million people in Gaza are literally starving, as Israel continues to severely restrict food, water, and other humanitarian aid.3 As Israel's main weapons provider and political patron, the U.S. has the leverage to force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. In the face of such horrific bloodshed, we must keep pushing the U.S. to use its influence over Israel to achieve an immediate, permanent ceasefire.
Nearly 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the majority women and children. However, even U.S. officials admit that this number is almost surely an undercount, as at least 10,000 are missing and presumed dead in the rubble.4 Worse yet, with 90 percent of the population displaced and virtually the entire civilian infrastructure of Gaza destroyed, experts project that the complete death toll could soon exceed 180,000, when deaths caused by violence, disease, starvation, and the lack of health services are included.5,6 Meanwhile, Netanyahu has steadfastly refused to support the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposals, even as the family members of Israeli hostages demand he negotiate a deal.7 The U.S. has the power to demand Netanyahu come to the table and agree to a ceasefire. With so many dead or dying, President Biden must act now. Demand Progress Action has already mobilized more than 150,000 calls, emails, and petition signatures to policymakers demanding just that. Now, with so many on the brink of starvation, we must turn up the pressure. With gratitude, The team at Demand Progress Action Sources: PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (DemandProgress.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Facebook or Twitter. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time. |