Some 384 parliamentarians around the world have signed a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging their governments to seek accountability for “grave violations of human rights”.
As Israel continues its assault in Gaza, the effort is being led by Ilhan Omar, a member of “the Squad” of progressive Democrats in the US Congress, and Sevim Dağdelen, a member of the German Bundestag for the BSW party.
“We join together to call for an immediate, multilateral ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, the release of all the remaining Israeli and international hostages, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid entry into Gaza,” the statement says.
“We further urge our own respective governments and the international community to uphold international law and seek accountability for grave violations of human rights.”
The American signatories are the representatives Omar, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, André Carson, Greg Casar, Jesús García, Hank Johnson, Summer Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Nydia Velázquez and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
Omar, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress, said: “We can hold two things in our heads at once: that the attacks by Hamas on October 7 were a war crime, and that Israel has responded by committing crimes against humanity – crimes that the United States, and much of the West continue to let happen, despite our professed support for international law.
“I am proud to lead this international effort to demand an end to this violence, to demand a release of the hostages who have now suffered for 133 days, and to condemn all violations of international law in this conflict.”
The list also includes politicians from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Among the British contingent are Jeremy Corbyn, a former leader of the Labour party, John McDonnell, a former shadow chancellor of the exchequer, and Shami Chakrabarti, a member of the House of Lords and former director of Liberty, a civil rights organisation.
Their demand comes on the day that the international court of justice in The Hague is scheduled to hold hearings in a case brought by South Africa claiming that Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza violates the 1948 genocide convention. Colombia and Brazil expressed support for South Africa late on Wednesday.
But John Kirby, a spokesperson for the national security council at the White House, which continues to oppose a ceasefire, said: “I read the indictment. And as I said – and we stand by what we said about this – we find it without merit. We find it counterproductive. And I’ll leave it there.”
Israel launched its current offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters carried out a cross-border rampage on 7 October, in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted. Since then, Israeli forces have laid much of Gaza to waste, and nearly all of its 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes at least once. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, 70% of whom are women and children.
Omar was among 24 Democrats in Congress who signed a letter in November urging Biden to end “grave violations of children’s rights” by pushing for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Concerns over Israel’s conduct in the war, and the supply of US military aid, have only broadened and deepened on Capitol Hill since then.
In a speech on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, announced that he will bring a resolution that would require the state department to provide credible information on potential human rights violations in the Israeli campaign to the floor for a vote next week.
Sanders said: “Let me be very clear, this aggressive military campaign has led to massive destruction and widespread civilian harm. There is extensive evidence showing that it has been, far and away, the most intensive bombing campaign of the 21st century.”
Sanders, however, has been criticized for declining to call for a ceasefire.
