To: Open letter to the Governments of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the United States
Ceasefire now: Urgent appeal for peace and justice
We, the undersigned, write in response to your joint statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict.1
We call on you to urgently support a ceasefire to halt the bombing and the appalling loss of life of defenceless civilians in Gaza. Collective Punishment on the Palestinians is a war crime. It cannot and must not be the answer to the deplorable atrocities committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7th 2023. We urge you to publicly back the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating all these crimes and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The intensity and destructiveness of Israel’s war is unprecedented - even by the standards of previous wars with Hamas. Israel is showing no regard for civilian life in its brutal campaign of bombing and near-total siege, with only a tiny trickle of humanitarian relief allowed to pass into Gaza. Meanwhile, pro-peace and anti-occupation parties in Israel face mounting persecution and repression. This is not what the protection of the rule of law and democracy looks like.
As the people of Gaza face catastrophe, the security of the entire region is at risk.
At this critical moment your voice matters.
We call on you to:
Pursue an immediate ceasefire by all parties to the conflict.
Use all diplomatic avenues to negotiate the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Oppose Israel’s indiscriminate bombing and attacks on Palestinian civilians and public infrastructure.
Push for the full restoration of water, gas, fuel, electricity and basic supplies to Gaza.
Support criminal accountability for the crimes committed by Israel, Hamas and other parties to the conflict by publicly backing the ICC's mandate and existing investigation, including by providing vitally needed finance for its investigation.
Prioritise an end to the occupation and illegal settlement of the Palestinian territories. Negotiate a just end to the conflict based on the principles of universal human rights. Immediately call for an end to the wave of settler violence in the West Bank.
Speak out against the repression of peace activists and anti-occupation parties in Israel and guarantee peaceful freedom of assembly and of expression in your countries. Ask the Government of Israel to end the suspension of Ofer Cassif from the Knesset; drop the disciplinary processes against university students; and end the prosecutions of peace activists. Human rights and the rule of law are fundamental to lasting peace.
Halt weapons sales to Israel. In light of the clear risk that such weapons could be used to commit serious breaches of international law and the rules of war, we urge you to immediately suspend arms sales to Israel.
