Washington DC – Supporters of a Gaza ceasefire were often interrupted by their own tears as they gathered outside the White House and read the names of Palestinians killed in the war.
Several speakers, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and actors Cynthia Nixon and Denee Benton, took turns reading a long list of names Wednesday evening. But they barely survived a fraction of the more than 15,000 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks.
Activists warned that the list of deaths would only grow if the current truce were to expire and a permanent ceasefire was not achieved.
The vigil – attended by Tlaib and other progressive members of Congress – was organized by activists, lawmakers and artists on hunger strike in Washington, D.C., in support of a Gaza ceasefire .
Tlaib and her colleagues gathered to show support for the hunger strikers and warned that the war in Gaza must end, stressing that a temporary pause in fighting was not enough.
“How many more lives will be enough?” How many more children should we kill? How many more families will have to be traumatized and torn apart? There is nothing humanitarian, my friends, about giving innocent civilians a few days off before they are bombed again,” Tlaib said.
She called on President Joe Biden to listen to those calling for a cease-fire, which is supported by most Americans and an overwhelming majority of Democrats, according to public opinion polls.
“Our movement works”
Tlaib, who is the only Palestinian American member of Congress, criticized the White House for calling lawmakers who demanded a ceasefire early in the war “disgusting.”
“The bombing of innocent civilians and children is disgusting and shameful. The refusal to support a ceasefire and an end to violence and killing is disgusting and shameful. Our president calling on Congress to fund more bombs dropped on innocent civilians is disgusting and shameful,” Tlaib said.
Biden is seeking more than $14 billion in additional funding for Israel to support the war on Gaza, on top of the $3.8 billion Israel receives each year from the United States.
Tlaib pointed out that major human rights groups and Pope Francis have called for a ceasefire, emphasizing that the demand was not controversial.
Rep. Cori Bush, who last month introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives demanding a ceasefire, echoed Tlaib’s remarks, emphasizing that the campaign to demand a ceasefire is moving forward.
“Our movement is working. They feel our energy in the White House. They hear our demands. They see us marching in the streets. They watch the polls,” Bush said.
The congresswoman noted that when she first introduced a resolution on Oct. 16, the measure had only 13 cosponsors. Today, more than 40 House and Senate members called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“It is clear that our voters and people around the world want a cease-fire,” Bush said.
Biden sparked speculation Tuesday with a social media post that could be interpreted as a call for Israel to end the war, suggesting violence would only bolster support for Hamas.
“Hamas launched a terrorist attack because it fears nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace,” Biden wrote.
“To continue on the path of terror, violence, murder and war is to give Hamas what it is looking for. »
But White House national security spokesman John Kirby was quick to reaffirm U.S. support for Israel’s war effort later in the day, suggesting the country has a “responsibility » to eliminate Hamas.
The war
The war on Gaza began on October 7 after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis and captured more than 200 people.
The Palestinian group said the attack was a response to the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners and incursions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israel responded with a relentless bombing campaign that turned into one of the deadliest conflicts for children in modern history. It also launched a ground invasion into parts of the besieged Gaza Strip and severely restricted the entry of food, water, fuel and medicine into the Palestinian territory.
The war has displaced more than a million Palestinians inside Gaza.
The almost unprecedented scale of the violence has prompted United Nations experts to warn that Palestinians are at “grave risk of genocide.”
The Biden administration expressed its unwavering support for Israel early on, supporting its goal of destroying Hamas. But after seven weeks of fighting in Gaza, Israel still appears far from achieving this goal.
Last week, an agreement, brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, was reached to temporarily suspend fighting to allow the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the intensification humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The truce has been extended by two days, but is set to expire early Thursday.
Outside the White House on Wednesday, Congressman Jamaal Bowman said calling for a ceasefire was about undermining our common humanity.
“We have all heard about genocides. We have all heard of mass murders. I can’t believe I’m seeing one. And I can’t believe that I’m going through such a situation, and that the American government tolerates it and is complicit in it. Shame,” he said.
For his part, MP Jonathan Jackson said “too many” innocent people are suffering because of war.
“We have seen too much bloodshed and we stand here with a sense of moral outrage because of our courage and conviction,” Jackson said.