More than fifteen thousand Palestinians have been killed over 6,000 of them children, more than a million have been displaced, and more than two million are suffering under a brutal siege of food, water, medicine, and fuel. At the same time, more than 1200 Israelis were killed on October 7th, and 200 Israelis were taken hostage.

In November, the State Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) joined 30 heads of churches and faith-based organizations in a letter calling for a ceasefire, a return of hostages, and the protection of all civilians. The leaders called on President Biden to “press all parties to abide by the Geneva Conventions and customary international law and for the collective punishment imposed upon the civilians in Gaza to be brought to an end. Atrocities against civilians are never justified. We call for actions to be taken to secure the immediate release of all civilians being held hostage and ensure international protection for all civilians.”

For almost a decade, the US has given more than $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel each year and has now requested an additional $14.3 billion. That investment means the US is not only partially responsible for what’s happening; the US also has the power to pressure it to stop.  

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights  recently stated that both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes and that “even in the context of a 56-year-old occupation, the current situation is the most dangerous in decades faced by people in Gaza, in Israel, in the West Bank and regionally."  

It is urgent for Congress and the administration to call for a ceasefire now! The United States must demonstrate its commitment to protecting all human life.  War crimes do not justify war crimes.

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