150 NGOs Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel

Open Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel and End to Impunity amid  a Spiralling Humanitarian Catastrophe and Escalating Regional Conflict 

24 October 2024 

We, the undersigned organisations, appeal to all UN member states to secure an immediate ceasefire across Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, and the region, and to end the impunity that has allowed atrocities by Israeli forces against civilians to continue and escalate. Without accountability, there will be no red lines and no rock bottom.  

Israel’s war in Gaza, following the deadly attacks by Palestinian armed groups on 7  October 2023, is the latest and most horrific onslaught of violence in the decades-long  Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. After a year of unfathomable killing and destruction, patterns of civilian harm by Israeli forces are spreading and escalating from Gaza to Lebanon, while rocket attacks by armed groups in Lebanon continue.  We are now on the precipice of even greater devastation across the region. 

Failure to act now is a choice - a choice that will fail to stop and prevent future atrocities. The UN Commission of Inquiry concluded last week that Israel has  committed war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination with relentless  and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities in Gaza, and called on  member states to “cease aiding or assisting in the commission of violations.” 

Over the last 12 months, the UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on  Gaza, including one calling for a ceasefire, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ)  has ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Genocide Convention. The ICJ also issued an Advisory Opinion that found that Israel’s occupation (1) and annexation of Palestinian territory is illegal, and the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding that  Israel end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) within 12  months. Despite this, none of these measures have been implemented or adhered to.  

The international community’s egregious disregard for international law and the government of Israel’s unchecked impunity in Gaza, the West Bank, and now Lebanon,  has set dangerous new precedents for the conduct of war. 

For civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory, Lebanon and Israel this has resulted  in:  

- Israeli military actions killing over 43,000 Palestinians across the oPt and more than 2,000 people in Lebanon.  

- Israeli forces issuing displacement orders covering over 84% of Gaza's territory and now 25% of Lebanon’s territory. These orders, combined with Israel’s bombardment, have forcibly displaced around 90% of Gaza's population and over 800,000 people in Lebanon.  

- An estimated 400,000 Palestinians are under siege and relentless bombardment in northern Gaza without access to food, water, fuel, or medical care. (UNRWA) 

- The killing of over 300 Palestinian and international aid workers, and over 1000  health care workers in Gaza and 95 in Lebanon. UN peacekeeping forces in  Lebanon are also coming under attack by Israeli forces (UNIFIL). Israeli military attacks on hospitals, clinics, and ambulances have decimated the health care  system in Gaza, and are destroying it in Lebanon - leaving millions without access to care. 

- Countless children and adults are dying of malnutrition and facing the risk of starvation, directly induced by the Israeli government’s siege on Gaza, which includes systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid and essential services.  (IPC) 

- The killing of nearly 1,200 people in Israel during the Palestinian armed group-led attacks on October 7, 2023 (OCHA).  

- Rockets fired by Palestinian and Lebanese armed groups have killed and injured dozens of people (Amnesty International) and displaced over 140,000  Israelis. 

- 101 hostages remain held by Palestinian armed groups, and thousands of  Palestinians are unlawfully detained by Israeli forces in detention centers,  including children, many whose whereabouts are unknown and have effectively disappeared. 

Many among us have repeatedly called for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire,  hostage release, a halt to arms transfers, and de-escalation of tensions in the region,  and yet the violence only appears to be intensifying. Again, we call on all Heads of  State and Governments, the UN Security Council, and actors on the ground to  prioritise the preservation of human life above all else by: 

● Securing an immediate ceasefire by all parties to the conflict and an end to the indiscriminate attacks that kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure; ● Halting the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to parties to the conflict that may be used to commit violations of international humanitarian law (IHL); ● Enabling unhindered humanitarian access for the delivery of lifesaving assistance, including food, medical supplies and fuel, and the safe movements of civilians and aid workers. 

● Ensuring the protection of civilians from further forced displacement, and the right to return for those forcibly displaced. Civilians who choose to stay or are unable to leave remain protected under international law. 

● Securing the release of all hostages and detainees. 

● Immediately activating independent international investigations into all apparent violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed by all parties.  

Governments must do everything in their power to end this growing catastrophe and cycle of impunity. It is not only a moral imperative but a legal obligation. All Member  States must prevent further atrocities and ensure that those responsible for any violations of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, are held accountable. Failure to act now risks further eroding international norms and emboldening perpetrators. The cycle of violence against civilians needs to stop.

(1 )For more on what international humanitarian law says about occupation, please see commentary by ICRC.

Signatories: 

1. ABCD Bethlehem 

2. Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR)  

3. AFSC, American Friends Service Committee 

4. ALEF - act for human rights 

5. Alternatives Internationales 

6. Amos Trust 

7. Anglican Pacifist Fellowship  

8. Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem 

9. Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz (ACPP) 

10. Asociación Otra Escuela 

11. Association Switzerland-Palestine (Gesellschaft Schweiz-Palästina) 12. Avaaz 

13. Baytna pour le soutien de la société civile 

14. Belgium Palestine Mental Health Network 

15. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies 

16. Caritas Internationalis 

17. Caritas MONA (Middle East and North Africa) 

18. CCFD-Terre Solidaire 

19. Children Not Numbers 

20. Christian Aid 

21. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) 

22. CIVICUS  

23. Clowns Without Borders Sweden 

24. Clowns Without Borders UK 

25. CNCD-11.11.11 

26. Collective Aid 

27. Comisión de Justicia y Paz de Confregua 

28. Cordaid 

29. Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) 

30. Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) 

31. Danish Refugee Council 

32. DAWN  

33. Egala Association 

34. Emmaus International 

35. Equal Legal Aid 

36. EuroMed Rights Network 

37. Europe Cares e.V. 

38. European Alternatives 

39. Fellowship of Reconciliation - USA 

40. Fenix Humanitarian Legal Aid 

41. Firefly International 

42. Forces Watch 

43. FORO SALUD NACIONAL 

44. France Palestine Mental Health Network 

45. FSMAGH (Forum des alternatives Maroc - FMAS) 46. Fund for Global Human Rights 

47. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect 

48. Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP)

49. Global Witness 

50. Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) 

51. HelpAge International  

52. Hivos 

53. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS"/Palestine 54. Human Rights Sentinel 

55. Human Security Collective 

56. Humanity & Inclusion/Handicap International 

57. ICNA SISTERS CANADA  

58. Initiatives et Changement 

59. International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) 60. International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) 61. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) 62. International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) 63. International Peace Bureau (IPB) 

64. INTERSOS 

65. Ireland Palestine Mental Health Network 

66. Islamic Relief Worldwide 

67. Jewish Network for Palestine 

68. Jewish Voice for Peace-Health Advisory Council 69. KAIROS Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives 70. Kenya Human Rights Commission 

71. KinderUSA 

72. Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law 

73. Lebanese Center for human Rights 

74. MADRE 

75. Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax 

76. Médecins du Monde International Network 

77. medico international 

78. Medicus Mundi Italia 

79. Migrant Roots Media 

80. Minnesota Peace Project 

81. Movement for community-led Development 

82. MPower Change Action Fund 

83. Muslim Association of Brantford 

84. Muslim Delegates and Allies 

85. Musulmanas de Guatemala por Palestina 

86. NO NAME KITCHEN 

87. Nonviolence International 

88. Nonviolent Peaceforce 

89. Norwegian Refugee Council 

90. Olof Palmes Internationella Center 

91. Omega Research Foundation 

92. Oxfam 

93. Palestinian Assoc. of Brantford 

94. PAX 

95. Pax Christi Australia 

96. Pax christi Deutsche Sektion 

97. Pax Christi England and Wales 

98. Pax Christi Flanders

99. Pax Christi International 

100. Pax Christi Scotland 

101. Pax Christi USA 

102. Peace Boat 

103. Peace Direct 

104. Peace SOS  

105. Peace Watch Switzerland 

106. Peace, Justice, Sustainability, NOW! 

107. People's Health Movement (PHM) 

108. Permanent Peace Movement 

109. Plan International 

110. Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine 111. Polish Medical Mission 

112. Première Urgence Internationale 

113. Progressive Democrats of Pennsylvania 

114. Protection International 

115. PVE Works 

116. Quakers in Scotland (Religious Society of Friends) 

117. Resource Centre for human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) 118. ReThinking Foreign Policy 

119. Rethinking Security 

120. Righting Relations Canada 

121. Saferworld 

122. SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties 

123. Seenaryo 

124. Share The World's Resources 

125. SOS Children's Villages UK 

126. Ster Organization for human development 

127. Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) 

128. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights 

129. Terre des Hommes Netherlands 

130. The Advocacy Academy 

131. The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security 132. The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation 133. The International Federation for Rights and Development - IFRD 134. The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation 

135. The Namibia NGO Forum Trust 

136. The National Organization of Yemeni Reporters SADA 137. The socio-economic Justice Initiative-MAAN 

138. The Syria Campaign 

139. Train of Hope Dortmund e. V. 

140. UK Palestine Mental Health Network 

141. United Nations Association - UK (UNA-UK) 

142. University Network for Human Rights 

143. US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) 

144. Vision GRAM-International  

145. War Child 

146. WESPAC Foundation, Inc. 

147. WeWorld 

148. WILPF US

149. Women for Women International 

150. Women's International League for Peace & Freedom-Minnesota, USA, Branch 151. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) 

152. Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation 

مؤسسة الجلك لالستجابة والتنميه 153. 

مؤسسة مدافعات للحقوق والحريات 154.