Protesting Israel’s War in Gaza with a Letter to the Prime Minister Justin Biden and the Israeli Interior Minister Jan. 8, 2020
Israel launched a ground invasion last month in Gaza in response to bloody attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people, according to the Israeli government. So far, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive according to Gaza’s health ministry.
“We call on President Biden to urgently demand a cease-fire; and to call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians; the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services; and the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip,” the letter states.
More than 400 political appointees and staff members representing some 40 government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on Tuesday protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza.
The letter sent by the anonymous group of people to the agency stated that they were concerned for their personal safety and risk of losing their jobs. The names of the people who signed the dissent cables must be made public.
Although the Biden administration has recently started voicing concern over the high numbers of Palestinian civilians killed while urging Israel to show restraint, that budding criticism does not appear to be placating many in the U.S. government.
The New York Times reviewed the letter and found it condemnation of the attacks by Hamas, followed by urging Mr. Biden to stop the fighting in Gaza.
Two political appointees helped organize the letter that was sent to Mr. Biden.
Some of the signatories helped Mr. Biden get elected in 2020 and said they were concerned about the administration’s support ofIsrael’s war in Gaza clashing with their stance on the issue.
Delay for aid in the Gaza conflict: U.N. Security Council votes to recommender a minimum number of days for a humanitarian pause
“Much more aid is urgently needed. The current levels are woefully insufficient,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. Humanitarian pauses may help the UN deliver aid and enable the safe passage of civilians fleeing violence.
The resolution was put out by Malta and passed after weeks of debate. It stopped short of calling for a cease-fire, and it did not spell out the number of days for a humanitarian pause, instead calling for “a sufficient number of days” for “the full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access.”
Before Wednesday’s vote, Russia asked for an amendment to the resolution that would demand a cease-fire. The majority of Security Council member states voted for a resolution calling for a cease-fire. The proposal did not get enough votes to be adopted. The U.S. was the lone member that voted against a cease-fire.
Four previous resolutions failed. Diplomats said that Malta’s resolution was a compromise intended to achieve consensus on language focused tightly on humanitarian issues with an emphasis on the plight of children.
The resolution is legally binding and called for all parties to comply with international laws of conflict that demand that civilians, especially children, be protected. It also called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.
The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on Wednesday calling for immediate and urgent dayslong humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to allow desperately needed aid to reach civilians in Gaza.