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Last Friday, the Biden administration approved $3.5 billion in military aid to Israel.1
Just hours later, the Israeli Defense Forces bombed a school-turned-shelter in Gaza, killing more than 100 people. Paramedics on the scene described the bodies of women and children "ripped to pieces."2
At the same time, half a million people in Gaza are literally starving, as Israel continues to severely restrict food, water, and other humanitarian aid.3
As Israel's main weapons provider and political patron, the U.S. has the leverage to force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. In the face of such horrific bloodshed, we must keep pushing the U.S. to use its influence over Israel to achieve an immediate, permanent ceasefire.
Nearly 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the majority women and children. However, even U.S. officials admit that this number is almost surely an undercount, as at least 10,000 are missing and presumed dead in the rubble.4
Worse yet, with 90 percent of the population displaced and virtually the entire civilian infrastructure of Gaza destroyed, experts project that the complete death toll could soon exceed 180,000, when deaths caused by violence, disease, starvation, and the lack of health services are included.5,6
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has steadfastly refused to support the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposals, even as the family members of Israeli hostages demand he negotiate a deal.7
The U.S. has the power to demand Netanyahu come to the table and agree to a ceasefire. With so many dead or dying, President Biden must act now.
Demand Progress Action has already mobilized more than 150,000 calls, emails, and petition signatures to policymakers demanding just that. Now, with so many on the brink of starvation, we must turn up the pressure.
With gratitude,
The team at Demand Progress Action
Sources:
1. Reuters, "US releases $3.5 billion to Israel to spend on US weapons, military equipment," August 9, 2024.
2. Al Jazeera, "Israeli attack on Gaza school renews calls for US to end support for Israel," August 10, 2024.
3. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (14 August 2024)," August 14, 2024.
4. The Lancet, "Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential," July 5, 2024.
5. United Nations, "'Endless nightmare' of death and destruction in Gaza, UN officials tell Security 6ouncil," July 26, 2024.
6. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (14 August 2024)," August 14, 2024.
7. CNN, "Hamas leader Sinwar wants a ceasefire deal, mediators say, but Netanyahu's stance unclear," August 12, 2024.
