For far too long, the Palestinian people have been subjected to apartheid, military occupation and dehumanisation. A new, darker, chapter is looming on the horizon.

“No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel, everything will be closed. We are fighting against human animals and we are acting accordingly” is how Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant describes the new measures.

We are entering dangerous territory – potentially one of genocide as described by the Genocide Convention through “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”.

This is a serious escalation. Perhaps even eclipsing Israeli apartheid as detailed by Human Rights Watch, B’tselem, and Amnesty International.

Our Western leaders, however, are continuously backing the oppressor, condoning crimes against humanity conducted by Israel and denying the Right to Resist for the Palestinians. The United Nations, meanwhile, has been slow to react and unable to move beyond emergency sessions. And amid ongoing bombardment, over 338,000 people have been displaced within Gaza and more than one million have been given 24 hours notice by Israel to leave north Gaza.

In face of such escalation of violence, and the potential for mass deaths, we urgently demand:

• an immediate ceasefire and drawdown of Israeli troops around Gaza
• the resumption of supply of electricity, water, food and humanitarian goods into Gaza
• the opening of humanitarian corridors and evacuation routes for residents of Gaza as mandated by International Law

Our long term vision

We call for the creation of a parallel peace process under the auspices of the United Nations for a just resolution of wars in Gaza, as well as in Ukraine.

Consistent with DiEM25’s internationalist, humanist principles of non-discrimination, equality before the law, diversity, and freedom of movement, we believe that the only long-term settlement requires progressives from both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, to work together toward a Single Democratic Secular State in the land of historic Palestine for Jews and Palestinians.

For more on our stance, please review our position paper.

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