A group of 185 organizations and other international civil society actors, including Dejusticia, signed a letter led by the Landscapes of Hope initiative in which we call on senior officials of multilateral and humanitarian agencies to make every effort to end the 16-year siege of Gaza and to actively support a political process leading to a just and lasting peace in Palestine.

Below is the content of the letter:

Petition by civil society organizations addressed to:

The UN Secretary General
The Speaker of the EU Parliament
The EU President
The Secretary General of the International Committee for the Red Cross

Over the past few days, the Gaza strip, one of the most densely populated places in the world
and home to more than 2.2 million Palestinians living in 365 square meters, of which more than
half are children, has been under a massive military onslaught by the Israeli army. Gaza’s
population, which has been under a tight and suffocating siege for nearly 17 years, is largely made up
of Palestinian refugees displaced from Israel’s crawling occupation. So far, more than 2,500 people
have been killed, untold thousands injured, more than half a million forcibly displaced, including
artists, writers and civil society leaders, and whole neighborhoods wiped out and flattened under
heavy and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment. Israel has cut off all basic supplies including food,
water, and fuel. Internet services were cut off on Friday as Israeli soldiers prepare a land invasion
of the strip which they have been blockading from the sea, air and land for nearly two decades.

This siege is preventing emergency humanitarian supplies that have been positioned on the
Egyptian side of the border from entering. Hospitals are rapidly running out of supplies as
international aid agencies are sounding alarm bells and warning that clear water and essential
foodstuffs are running dangerously short endangering a whole people.
If not immediately addressed, the unfolding situation will result in one of the worst humanitarian
crises the world has seen in decades. We call on all those around the world who believe in the
basic tenets of humanity and justice to act now to help put a stop to this catastrophic humanitarian
situation.

Nothing justifies the collective punishment of an entire population – of which the majority are
children – and the limitless attacks on the Gaza Strip targeting Palestinian civilians, forcibly
displacing them one more time, bombing their homes, schools and hospitals and destroying their
infrastructure. We grieve for all civilian lives lost and fear for the lives of all under imminent threat;
no civilians should ever be targeted.

We are now requesting that you put all possible pressure on the Israeli government to
take the following measures:

– Immediately and without delay, open all crossing points to the Gaza Strip to
allow all forms of humanitarian aid.
– Restore fuel supply, electricity, water supply and communications to Gaza.
– Allow forcibly displaced people to safely go back to their homes.
– Accept an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

We are also asking you to exert all necessary efforts to end the 16-year long siege
of Gaza, and to actively endorse a political process that would lead to a
sustainable and just peace in Palestine.

We hope that our voices as representatives of civil society worldwide will be heard and
that the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip will be spared.

If you or your organization would like to sign our press release, please sign here