The International Voluntary Service (IVS) movement was created in 1920 to develop and strengthen conditions of peace in every community, all over the world. IVS enjoins people, citizens, organisations from every region, to build peace, human rights, sustainable environments, and fair living conditions for everyone, to participate in a culture of diversity and social inclusion. It is for this reason that CCIVS cannot ignore the current situation of the Palestinian people, which represents currently one of the most urgent cases in the world concerning the violation of human rights.

As highlighted in a 2019 report by the UN “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967”, Israel’s policy is depriving 5 million Palestinians of natural resources, hopes and opportunities (A/HRC/40/73, page 1). In the same report, the Gaza Strip has been defined as “unliveable”. In the West Bank and Gaza, the youth population is rising at an overwhelming pace, and this trend is expected to continue in the next decade. According to demographic reports, the percentage of young people in Palestine has reached 30% of the total population. Overall, there has been a 180% increase in the youth refugee population in the West Bank since 1975 and a 274.7 % increase in Gaza. 

Since October 2023, there has been a live-streamed genocide taking place in the Gaza Strip and the daily assault of Palestinians in the West Bank has increased with impunity. The suffering is immeasurable, what we are witnessing is beyond belief, within CCIVS we keep asking ourselves what can we do, and we feel powerless. A Palestine Solidarity Working group was put into place after the CCIVS General Assembly in November 2023. Meeting on a regular basis with our Palestinian member organisations we share updates and ideas and make proposals for steps that the IVS movement can take.