The continuing devastation in Gaza
The scale of destruction in Gaza is staggering. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been reported killed since October 2023. Homes, hospitals, schools, water systems and entire neighborhoods have been destroyed. Families have been displaced repeatedly, often fleeing to areas they were told would be safe, only to face further bombardment. Investigations have identified hundreds of craters consistent with the use of 2,000-pound bombs, including in southern Gaza, where Palestinians had been ordered to seek refuge.
For Gaza’s children, the consequences of this devastation will last a lifetime. More than 56,000 children have lost one or both parents. Children have also suffered devastating injuries, including the loss of limbs, while the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system has severely limited access to the surgeries, prosthetics and rehabilitation they need. Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. Many are growing up amid profound grief and trauma, without the homes, schools and communities that once provided stability.
And the devastation continues. Nearly a year after the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, Israeli military attacks continue to kill and injure Palestinians. Over 1300 people have been killed in Gaza since the October 2025 ceasefire, including at least 300 children. Families are living in tents, overcrowded displacement sites and buildings so badly damaged that they could collapse at any moment. Hospitals struggle with shortages of medicine, fuel and essential equipment. Destroyed water and sanitation systems have left families without reliable access to clean water, while restrictions on humanitarian supplies continue to obstruct recovery.
On September 16, a residential building damaged by Israeli bombardment collapsed in Gaza City, killing at least 21 Palestinians, including 11 children. Six families had been sheltering in the building because they had nowhere safer to go. Rescue workers struggled to reach people trapped beneath the rubble without adequate equipment or fuel. The destruction of Gaza continues to take lives long after the bombs have fallen.
At its 2026 General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recognized Israel’s war in Gaza as genocide and called for blocking military sales to Israel. The General Assembly has also recognized Israel’s laws, policies and practices toward Palestinians as apartheid. These actions reflect our longstanding commitment to human rights, international law, and a just peace. They also answer the call of our Palestinian Christian partners for justice and accountability.
Take Action: Contact Your Members of Congress
Contact your representative and senators and ask them to support joint resolutions of disapproval to block the proposed $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel. Congress should examine how these weapons may be used, whether civilians would be protected, and whether their use would comply with U.S. and international law. Under the Arms Export Control Act, Congress can use a joint resolution of disapproval to reject a proposed sale.
Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Jeanne Shaheen have each held up the sale during Congress’s informal review because of concerns about how the bombs could be used. Their holds have delayed the process, but they do not legally prevent the administration from proceeding. That is why your members of Congress need to hear from you now.
Contact your members of congress today and ask them to support accountability and human rights and block the weapons sales to Israel!