An urgent call to protect civilians in Gaza: we demand a ceasefire

The Feminist Humanitarian Network is horrified by the continued violence in Gaza and Israel. As of 23 October, over 6,500 people have been killed (5,087 in Gaza, 95 in the West Bank and 1,405 in Israel), one million people in Gaza have been displaced, tens of thousands have been injured, 1,400 are presumed trapped under rubble, and 222 people kidnapped during the Hamas attack remain held hostage.

We are appalled by the significant violations of international humanitarian law that we continue to witness and we are appalled with the international community’s failure to use their influence to protect civilian life and demand humanitarian law be enforced.

We have seen harrowing scenes of human suffering and the targeting of civilian homes and infrastructure such as medical facilities, schools, UN bases, refugee camps, shelters, and places of worship. Air strikes on these safe spaces, inhabited by civilians, would amount to war crimes. Over a million people were ordered to leave their homes in northern Gaza within 24 hours which humanitarians agree was impossible. Many of those who did leave are now returning back as the roads they were told to travel on, and the places offering shelter have continued to face bombardment. The blockade of Gaza means that no one can evacuate. There is no safe place to seek protection from the ongoing and indiscriminate air strikes and no way to access critical, life saving supplies. 

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic — 2.3 million people have been cut off from life’s essentials: water, food, medicine and fuel. Many have resorted to drinking from unsafe sources of water, including sea water, and with limited sanitation there is a serious risk from outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases, such as cholera. 

The extremely limited amount of aid that has been allowed to enter Gaza since Saturday 21 October is nowhere near enough. A total of 35 aid trucks have arrived in Gaza, despite the area relying on hundreds of truckloads a day before the war. Without urgent action the entire population will soon run out of food and water. 

Over the past 16 days huge swathes of Gaza have been reduced to rubble. Without fuel, efforts to rescue those trapped underneath their homes have been significantly impeded and barely functional hospitals, running out of electricity, medical supplies and water are struggling to cope with the constant flow of casualties.

As the world watches on in horror it is all too clear that women, children and vulnerable communities are suffering most. Nearly half of Gaza’s population are under the age of 18, and it is estimated that nearly 70% of all those that have been killed are women and children (Gaza’s Health Ministry states 2,055 children and 1,119 women have been killed, as of 23 October 2023). The UN estimates that 50,000 women are currently pregnant in Gaza, 160 are giving birth each day during the conflict, and thousands more have recently given birth. Health experts have warned of the life-threatening situation facing women and their children without access to essential healthcare. Children’s lives are beginning under terrible circumstances and they are enduring trauma that will profoundly affect their entire lives.

We demand the protection of people in Gaza, including the protection of the Israeli and international hostages who are potentially also at serious risk from the bombardment and the dire conditions caused by the siege. 

We cannot be bystanders to the atrocities being carried out against Palestinian civilians, we must use our collective power to demand no further loss of life. We must fight against divisive rhetoric, stand together in solidarity and push collectively for a ceasefire.

Beyond a ceasefire, we as the global feminist community must continue to demand that Palestinian women are lifted, included, resourced, and centered to lead in the key decision-making spaces that will bring about a just and lasting peace. We stand in solidarity with FHN members working in Palestine, and amplify their calls for the rights of Palestinians and all people to be upheld, particularly the rights of women, girls, and marginalized people. Together with these FHN members, and guided by them, as a Network these are our calls:  

• We urgently call for a ceasefire and for life-saving humanitarian assistance to be immediately and safely facilitated, with humanitarian staff protected at all times.

• We call on the international community to prevent a ground invasion of Gaza, to eliminate the risk of a greater loss of innocent lives.

• We call for all parties to protect the lives of civilians by upholding international humanitarian law, including full protection of hospitals, schools, places of worship, UN buildings and health facilities, as well as their staff and the civilians using them.

• We call for the siege on Gaza to be immediately ended.

• We call for all civilian hostages to be immediately freed.

• We call for the evacuation order of northern Gaza to be rescinded and for humanitarian corridors to be opened, so civilians who wish to leave, or need urgent medical care can do so safely. 

• We implore the international community to show their support for a swift de-escalation of violence and for an increase in political will to find a peaceful, just and enduring solution to this protracted crisis. 

We believe that all people everywhere have equal rights to freedom, safety and dignity. We believe that a lasting and peaceful solution must be one in which the occupation of Palestine is ended, the blockade on Gaza lifted, and that the rights of Palestinian people everywhere are respected and upheld.  

*Figures reported by Al Jazeera and the BBC from reports by the Palestinian Health Ministry, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Israeli Military.