ActionAid Ireland said today while the agreement to halt hostilities in Gaza will bring some respite to its exhausted people, it is no substitute for a permanent ceasefire which respects the rights of Palestinians to determine their own future.
ActionAid Ireland CEO, Karol Balfe, said the international community must apply maximum pressure on all parties to urgently secure a lasting end to this war, and on the Israeli government to end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.
“Equally the new Programme for Government commitment must fulfil general election pledges to pass the long-awaited Occupied Territories Bill and show that international law means something.”
She said: “The Israeli government must be held accountable for all violations of international law and comply with ongoing proceedings by the international courts into the charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. “
“Fifteen months of unimaginable violence and horror has turned Gaza into hell on earth. The Israeli military’s brutal and relentless offensive has left over 46,000 people dead, tens of thousands with life-changing injuries and turned much of Gaza into a wasteland, with more than two thirds of buildings destroyed.”
Fidaa, a Project Officer at Al Aqsa Sports Club, ActionAid’s partner in Gaza, whose husband and brother were both killed, said:
“For Gaza, for my family and for me, this moment comes too late. I have lost so much.
“My husband and my brother dreamed of peace, of a future brighter than this reality…But now they are not here to witness this moment. What should have been achance for relief feels like a cruel reminder of the lives we’ve been robbed of… the love we’ve been forced to let go.
“After enduring more than a year of displacement and unimaginable suffering and the weight of profound loss, I ask myself: how do we rebuild? How do I raise my seven children without their father, the man who was our anchor and our light?
“This is not peace, it is a cruel reminder of the cost of inaction, the toll of conflict, and the emptiness left in its wake.
“My family’s story is not unique here in Gaza, it’s one among countless others. As I stand here, I hold onto a fragile hope, that this moment might mark, not just the end of violence but the beginning of a world where no-one else has to endure what we have endured.”
Ms Balfe added:
“A ceasefire will not bring back the hundreds of thousands of homes that have been destroyed, nor the entire cities wiped off the map, so reconstruction efforts must begin now to urgently provide shelter to the thousands of homeless and displaced Palestinians across the Strip. “
She said: “As the truce comes into effect, all efforts must turn to addressing the staggering humanitarian need in Gaza, where people are starving, and children are freezing to death. Aid – particularly nutritious food, clean water, shelter items, medicines and fuel – must be immediately sent into Gaza, while women and girls also need vital essentials like period products, as well as safe and private places to shelter.
“While we hope this ceasefire agreement is a crucial step forward, there is still a very long way to go to achieve the justice and accountability that Palestinians deserve for the countless atrocities that have been committed.”
In relation to the Occupied Territories Bill Ms Balfe said the new Government can set an example for nations around the world.
“Even though we are a small state, the long-awaited Occupied Territories Bill would be the least we can do and an appropriate legal response to the appalling breaches of international law that have happened in Gaza, and the West Bank, over the last 15 months.”
“We can and must show that international law means something. The new Government must not be deflected by growing political and diplomatic pressure. The Irish public clearly want this, there can be no price too high to resist an illegal and immoral occupation, man-made famine and the brutality of suffering Palestinians have faced.”
She added: “We have to do the right thing and stand up and be counted. All political parties collectively pledged during the RTE TV leaders debate during the general election campaign to support the Bill. Any postponement, watering down or delay will not only be letting the people of Gaza down, but will be a bad reflection on our nation’s values.”
More information here.
