Motasem Murtaja
In the early hours of March 18, 2025, Israel began conducting extensive airstrikes across Gaza. More than 400 Palestinians have already been killed, including many children. There are no words adequate to express the devastation of watching bombs rain down again on people who have already endured more than 17 months of a U.S.-backed genocide. Our hearts are with AFSC staff, families, partners, friends, and all Palestinians in Gaza – we are holding you in the Light and we will continue the relentless struggle to end these atrocities.
This unprovoked attack comes in the middle of Ramadan and after two weeks of Israel blocking all food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid, leaving the entire population of Gaza on the brink of famine, using starvation as a weapon of war. Israel had also shut off Gaza’s electricity, impacting everything from the ability to produce drinkable water to being able to operate lifesaving medical technology.
In January, Israel and Hamas agreed to a three-phase ceasefire deal. Before the end of the first phase, Hamas offered to release all hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel refused this offer and any attempt to negotiate for a permanent ceasefire – even though these negotiations were required by the terms of the ceasefire deal Israel had already signed.
Even before these latest attacks, adherence to the ceasefire was one sided. Israel has regularly bombed and attacked Gaza over the last two months, killing at least 150 Palestinians. At the same time, Israel also intensified its attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, where it also killed at least 100 people and forcibly displaced more than 40,000 since January.
Returning to war is a choice. Israel had every opportunity to seek a permanent ceasefire. The U.S. at any time could have pressured Israel to do so. Instead, the Israeli and U.S. governments are colluding to perpetuate a genocide.
The Trump administration has already sent billions of dollars in weapons to Israel, declared a war on the International Criminal Court and UNRWA, publicly advocated for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people from Gaza, and proposed the U.S. occupation of the Gaza strip to create the "Gaza Riviera" of the Middle East.
Across all of the illegally occupied Palestinian territory, Israel and the U.S. continue to threaten annexation and ethnic cleansing. This is a continuation of settler colonialism and in clear violation of human rights and international law.
The resumption of bombing – and the violence of starvation and displacement – will only bring more death and destruction. It will never lead to peace or security. Diplomacy and negotiations are what is needed now. The path to a just and lasting peace requires:
- A resumption of negotiations and a permanent ceasefire, the release of all who are held captive, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza, and a Palestinian-led process to determine Palestinians’ future.
- Immediate, full, and unimpeded humanitarian access to and passage within Gaza to alleviate famine, deliver lifesaving medical aid, and provide essential goods and services.
- Free movement for Palestinians within the entire occupied Palestinian territory and an end to the nearly two-decade long siege imposed on Gaza.
- A transparent and impartial investigation into violations of international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
- An end to attempts at ethnically cleansing Palestinians from their lands. Self-determination and the right of return for all Palestinians, and an end to occupation and apartheid.
- An end to arms sales and military support for Israel.
We continue to call on the United States to support diplomacy and stop arming and funding Israel’s genocide. If the U.S. refuses to act, the rest of the international community must isolate and refuse military support for Israel, the U.S., and any states and corporations complicit in these atrocities.
Over the past two years, millions of people around the world have peacefully taken to the streets to demand an end to genocide and to support the rights of the Palestinian people. As a Quaker organization, we believe in the power of courageous love and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We must continue to build this movement – even in the face of increased repression – until justice, peace, and self-determination are achieved for all.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine Light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.