World Leaders: Lift the Gaza Blockade
To: UN Special Coordinator Mladenov, Sheikh Emir Al Thani, President Obama, President Hollande, Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister Cameron, Prime Minister Solberg, EU Vice President Mogherini, and all other world leaders:
Two years on from the devastating conflict in Gaza, we are calling on you to put pressure on Israel to end the blockade and to immediately remove wood, steel bars, cement, and other essential construction materials from the list of items restricted from entering the Gaza Strip. So far, only 10 % of the 11,000 totally destroyed homes in Gaza have been fully rebuilt. World leaders have pledged $3.5 billion to rebuild Gaza, but Israeli government restrictions on the entry of building material are costing reconstruction efforts severe delays. As concerned citizens, we urge you to take action to press for an end to these restrictions now, so that families are lifted out of the rubble and homes and hospitals can be built.
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More than 75,000 Palestinians in Gaza are still homeless, hospitals still lie in ruins, and whole neighbourhoods have no access to running water.
Marking the two years since the outbreak of the 2014 conflict -- we can help ensure homes and hope are rebuilt.
Our governments have already pledged to rebuild Gaza, and called on the government of Israel to lift the blockade. We can show them that people everywhere want urgent action to stop this injustice, the Israeli government must stop hindering reconstruction, so that families will be able to build homes and children will finally get their remaining schools back.
Sign the petition and share – almost 700,000 people already signed the petition - let's get 1.1 million more voices for urgent action, one for each of the 1.8 million people living in Gaza.
Palestinian political parties have failed to reconcile and prioritise reconstruction, and Egypt's closure of its border has further limited supplies entering Gaza. The principal obstacle to reconstruction is Israel’s blockade. While Israel justifies the restrictions on security grounds, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have told Israel this blockade is a violation of international law.
By placing restrictions on the movement of people and goods, the blockade is punishing innocent civilians for acts for which they bear no responsibility. There can never be a justification for leaving families without a home and the sick without a hospital.
The media's eyes are on Gaza right now, and that’ll make politicians more likely to act. Sign the urgent petition on the right -- let’s demand our governments to move beyond statements, and ramp up diplomacy.
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Signatories:
Action Against Hunger (ACF)
ActionAid
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
Asamblea de Cooperacion por la Paz (ACPP)
Alianza por la Solidaridad
CARE International
COSPE, Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti
CISP-Comitato Internazionale Sviluppo dei Popoli
CCFD-Terre Solidaire
Christian Aid UK and Ireland
DanChurchAid (DCA)
Diakonia
Embrace the Middle East
French Platform of NGOs for Palestine
GVC
Handicap International
Heinrich Böll Foundation Palestine/ Jordan Office
HEKS/EPER
HelpAge International
Japan International Volunteer Center
Kvinna Til Kvinna Foundation
The Lutheran World Federation
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP – UK)
Medecins du Monde
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
Medico International
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
Oxfam
Overseas
Première Urgence Internationale
Rebuilding Alliance
Save the Children
Secours Islamique France
Terre des Hommes Italy
Terre des hommes Foundation Lausanne Switzerland
The Lutheran World Federation
The Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden
The Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief/ IM - Swedish Development Partner
Trócaire
World Vision International
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