Palestine Solidarity Statements
As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza deepens, CCIVS reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and calls for immediate international action to halt the ongoing atrocities.
The situation in Gaza has deteriorated to unprecedented levels:
● Mass Starvation: Civilians are being denied access to essential food and medical supplies, leading to widespread malnutrition and preventable deaths.
● Targeted Bombings: Residential areas, hospitals, and schools have been subjected to relentless airstrikes, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including women and children.
● Forced Displacement: Over 1.5 million people have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in areas like Rafah, only to face further attacks.
“I call it genocide because IT IS genocide.
Defined by intent, not by method or means. Visible without magnification — if we
look with context, at the victims: what they share is being part of a group, as
such. Because of it, they get killed, tortured, maimed, starved, raped, massacred.
In dozens or hundreds daily.
Genocide is a process, not a single act. A collective act. A criminal venture.
To end it, we must first be willing to see it.”
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur
Around the world, people are beginning to see — and to name — what is happening in Gaza. From South Africa’s legal leadership at the International Court of Justice to the growing movement of students, artists, and youth organisations rising up globally, the call is clear: this must end.
CCIVS stands firmly with those who speak truth to power and refuses to normalize mass killing, forced displacement, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
1. Immediate Ceasefire: An unconditional and permanent halt to all military operations in Gaza.
2. Unrestricted Humanitarian Access: Allowance for aid organisations to deliver essential supplies to the affected populations.
3. Accountability for War Crimes: Independent investigations into alleged violations of international law, with perpetrators held responsible.
4. End to Occupation: Establish a Palestinian state and a just and lasting solution that respects the rights, security and sovereignty of the Palestinian people.
As an international network committed to peace and justice, CCIVS urges all governments, institutions, and individuals to take decisive action against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
We also express our full support for the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which is currently sailing to break the illegal blockade and deliver aid.
📡 Follow their journey in real time: freedomflotilla.org/ffc-tracker
Witnessing is not enough. Now is the time to act.
📎 For more information and ways to support, visit:
ccivs.org/peace-messengers/palestine-solidarity
“End occupation and establish a Palestinian State”
#CCIVSforGaza #EndTheGenocide #SolidarityWithPalestine #PeaceMessengers
The Palestine Solidarity working group
Statement
The Palestine Solidarity Working Group of CCIVS has been meeting regularly over the past year, closely following the ongoing genocide and attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This group seeks, in whatever small way possible, to support the Palestinian people as they endure unimaginable brutality. While the group was formed in response to recent events, CCIVS has long supported Palestinian rights. The current atrocities, identified by the UN Special Rapporteur and Amnesty International as acts of genocide, are part of a larger history of systematic oppression. This history stretches back to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, followed by the Nakba of 1948, during which Palestinians were subjected to widespread ethnic cleansing and displacement—an injustice that continues unabated. The recognition of these crimes at the international level underscores the urgency of collective solidarity to advocate for justice, freedom, and dignity for the Palestinian people.
The news of the Ceasefire brings momentary joy; hostages (some Palestinian and Israeli) released, people returning to places they were forced to abandon … and then the realisation hits – what’s next?
With the ceasefire comes the numbers of:
* Massacred women and children, civilians, medical staff, journalists …
* Orphans
* Amputees and severely disabled lacking medical treatment
* People starving
* Babies freezing to death
* Palestinian hostages (including children and women) 1000 to be released in the next weeks – breastfeeding mothers being reunited with their babies after 9 months, women detained in 1.5×1.5m cells for 6 months
* Those tortured in Israeli detention cells
* Those still imprisoned illegally, including heroic medical staff of whom there is no news
* Homes, hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, churches flattened
* Ecocide and ensuing human health risk – more than 90 thousands tons of bombs dropped on Gaza, the equivalent of more than 4 atomic bombs.
And then comes the continuation of…
* Massacres in the Gaza Strip in spite of the ceasefire
* Attacks on West Bank villages, including Jenin and Nur Shams refugee camps by settlers and the Israeli Occupation Forces
* Destruction of Palestinian infrastructure, economy and basic services (schools, hospitals..)
* The continued deprivation of education for Palestinian Children in Gaza and the West Bank
* Roadblocks put into place unprecedented since 1967
* The rounding up of more Palestinians, detained without charge or trial
* The statements made by President Trump referring to the U.S. occupation and ethnic cleansing of Gaza
The United States’ decision to host Netanyahu—who faces an ICC arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity—along with the statements made by the U.S. President, must be unequivocally condemned at all levels. The forcible displacement of people is a grave violation of international law and the UN Charter, constituting an international crime.
In the pursuit of justice, The Hind Rajab Foundation (https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/) focuses on offensive legal action against perpetrators, accomplices and inciters of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. If you know a law firm that can help or if you can support financially, please contact the Foundation.
This is not a time to relax, this is a time to continue relentlessly to highlight what is happening to the Palestinian People – news outlets may shift their focus, not reporting directly on Palestine and so allowing people to forget or to remain uninformed.
We will not.
You can find out more about how to join solidarity actions on our webpage, and directly here: https://ccivs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/palestine_solidarity_actions.pdf
October 7, 2024; unbelievably one year has passed, one year in which we have been devastated, horrified, shocked by the unstopped aggression of the state of Israel, by the continued support of the US, the European Union and their allies to the onslaught against the people of Palestine and now Lebanon.
It’s unimaginable—how did we let this happen? How have we reached the devastating figure of 186,000 possible deaths in Gaza, as reported by the Lancet on 19 June 2024?
Have you seen the staggering numbers?
* Hundreds of pages listing the names of young children slaughtered — 33% of all victims in Gaza, with the combined number of women and children making 70% of those massacred.
* 10% of Gaza’s population — around 200,000 people — killed, injured, missing, or detained.
* 80% of Gaza’s agricultural land destroyed and rendered unusable.
* ‘More than 2 million Palestinians are without protection, food, water, sanitation, shelter, health care, education, electricity and fuel’
* 175 journalists and media workers targeted and assassinated in Palestine.
* More than 300 aid workers killed.
* 226 UN staff killed, buildings destroyed and the UN Secretary General banned from entering.
* Ongoing settler violence in the West Bank, unchecked and unpunished.
* Daily incursions by the IDF, leading to indiscriminate killings, property destruction, and lockdowns across West Bank villages, towns, and cities.
* Torture, sexual, and physical abuse of thousands of Palestinians forcibly detained with, 3600 still held in Israeli jails under administrative detention — without charge or trial — this systematically endorsed and justified by Israeli officials.
* Suffocation of the Palestinian economy by the Israeli state by holding the tax revenues of the Palestinian Authority.
* The absence of any voices of reason or peace inside the Israeli side to call for ceasefire, including the Israeli media, which plays a criminal role by dehumanising the Palestinians and covering-up all the crimes committed by the army.
The CCIVS Palestine Solidarity Working Group strongly condemns the acts of violence perpetrated by the Israeli government, leading to the genocide of the Palestinian people. These acts are not only in grave violation of international law but also serve to escalate the conflict further, pushing the region into deeper turmoil. The attacks on Lebanon, following the ongoing collective punishment in Gaza and the West Bank, have amplified the suffering of civilians, including women and children, and further threaten peace and stability in the region.
CCIVS and SCI stand resolute in our commitment to the values of peace, justice, and human rights.
In light of these grave developments, we continue to make the same demands:
1. An Immediate and Lasting Ceasefire: All hostilities, particularly against civilian populations, must cease immediately in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon. There can be no justification for the indiscriminate use of force, and all efforts must be directed toward halting the violence.
2. Sanctions on Israel: We call on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel in response to its continued violations of international law, including the illegal occupation of Palestinian and Lebanese territories, its blockade on Gaza, and its recent attacks on Lebanon. Accountability must be enforced to prevent further war crimes, crimes against humanity and a complete erosion of international law.
3. Humanitarian Aid and Support: We demand the immediate and unhindered access of humanitarian aid to the affected areas in Gaza and Lebanon. Essential goods and services, such as water, electricity, and medical supplies, must be restored to prevent further loss of life.
4. A Two-Way Arms Embargo: We reiterate the need for a global arms embargo on all parties fuelling the conflict. The trading and transfer of weapons, surveillance technology, and military infrastructure that profits from the ongoing violence must come to an end.
5. A Genuine Peace Process: All parties must commit to a genuine peace process that addresses the root causes of the conflict, including the recognition of Palestinian rights, the end of the illegal occupation, the ending of illegal settlements and the creation of conditions for a just and lasting peace in the region.
6. Justice, restitution and reparations for the Palestinian people: In line with the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024
We call upon civil society and governments worldwide to take a firm stance against this aggression, to speak out for peace, and to act in solidarity with those affected. We must stand together to demand justice and ensure that human rights and dignity are upheld for all. Without accountability, there will be no peace.
CAPTION
October 7, 2024; one year after we are left devastated, horrified, shocked by the news and we keep strongly condemning the acts of violence perpetrated on civilians.
CCIVS and SCI stand resolute in our commitment to the values of peace, justice, and human rights.
In light of the continuous grave developments, we continue to make the same demands:
An immediate and lasting ceasefire
Sanctions on Israel
Humanitarian aid and support
A two-way arms embargo
A genuine peace process
Justice, restitution and reparations for the Palestinian people
We call upon civil society and governments worldwide to take a firm stance against this aggression, to speak out for peace, and to act in solidarity with those affected. We must stand together to demand justice and ensure that human rights and dignity are upheld for all. Without accountability, there will be no peace.
1) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
2) https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6494
3) Israeli forces have worked to eliminate almost 80% of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip from use by Palestinians.
4) https://www.un.org/unispal/document/statement-by-iasc-23sept24/
5) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/6/palestinian-journalist-19-killed-in-israeli-raid-after-receiving-threats
6) https://www.ochaopt.org/content/one-year-unimaginable-suffering-7-october-attack
7) https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-09-27/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-gaza-delivered
8) https://www.nrc.no/news/2024/august/west-bank-israeli-settler-violence-triggers-largest-forcible-transfer-since-october-2023/
9) https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-incursion-in-occupied-west-bank/
10) https://www.btselem.org/publications/202408_welcome_to_hell
11) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/23/why-is-israel-sending-palestinian-taxes-to-norway
12) https://www.972mag.com/dehumanization-moral-abyss-israelis/
13) Anatomy of a Genocide – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 to Human Rights Council – Advance unedited version (A/HRC/55/73) – Question of Palestine
14) ICJ Advisory opinion on Case 186 – Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
The General Assembly of CCIVS meeting in Loutraki, Greece in November 2023, in response to the recent escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel.
As International Voluntary Service organisations we stand strongly for our values of peace, freedom of movement, co-operation, intercultural diversity and non-violence. We are deeply saddened and shocked by the violent attacks, civilian massacre and violation of human rights taking place in Gaza.
We, the members of the General Assembly, totally condemn all acts of violence on unarmed men, women and children. The attacks by the Palestinian resistance on Israel on Oct 7, do not, in any way, justify the horrifying, unconscionable collective punishment that ensued, inflicted by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people.
We condemn the Israeli government attacks on hospitals, ambulances, schools, places of worship, journalists, power stations, essential water infrastructure and condemn the use of white phosphorus strikes. We strongly decry the Israeli government preventing the entry of humanitarian aid and vital water, food, medical supplies and services, fuel and electricity to Gaza.
We demand:
● an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
● open access for urgent humanitarian support for Gaza, including restoring water, food, fuel, electricity and medical services.
● the international community to take the necessary responsibility and put strong and serious pressure on the Israeli government to reach an immediate ceasefire and urgently allow humanitarian support for Gaza.
● call for a two-way arms embargo and end to the profiteering of states in weapons transfer and trading, surveillance technology and military infrastructure.1
● the immediate safe and secure release of Israeli and Palestinian hostages and military detainees.
● the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
● a full investigation by the ICC into the allegations of genocide.
● the guarantee of the legitimate and just rights of the Palestinian people for recognition; including restitution, reparations and justice for the people of Gaza, displaced people must be allowed to return and be fully supported to do this.
● an end to the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine by the Israeli government, which has been going on for over 75 years.
● an end to any divisive and polarising narratives or propaganda that dehumanise Palestinians, portray a collective of civilians as “terrorists”, “anti-Semites” and “human animals”. We call for an end to any journalism that justifies the further escalation of violence in Gaza.
● further detailed economic, historical and legal research, guided by international law, to ascertain property rights and environmental impact related to oil and natural gas resources in Gaza. Detailed studies to clearly establish the Palestinian people’s right to their separate natural resources, as well as their rightful share in the common resources collectively owned by several neighbouring States in the region, including Israel.2
We call upon:
● all parties to start a genuine peace process for a just and lasting peace that will lead to an independent Palestinian state.
● civil society organisations and governments all over the world to speak out against all forms of racism.
● all member and sister organisations to take action within their capacity to promote peace, collaboration and actions that foster reconciliation and regeneration.
● all member and sister organisations to give further moral and material support – through special solidarity projects with the Palestinian people, working with local organisations in their struggle for a just conclusion to the illegal occupation3 of Palestinian territory.
We stand in solidarity with the people in Palestine, for more than 75 years Palestinians have been subject to human rights violations, crimes against humanity and a sustained apartheid regime implemented by the Israeli government4. Israeli authorities have repeatedly ignored UN resolutions5. Gaza, has been under unlawful blockade for 17 years, it is the largest open-air prison in the world. The fact that Israel subjects 2.3 million people to this treatment is indicative of the power imbalance. Alleged war crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory are being investigated by the International Criminal Court, including the recent complaint filed by a group of lawyers from around the world who believe that the criteria for genocide is met in Gaza 6. To date, the Israeli military have dropped more than 35000 tons of explosives on one of the most densely populated areas on earth – this is equivalent to 2 nuclear bombs7. This is not self-defence; it is ethnic cleansing. By day 49 of the ongoing recent attacks, 20031 Palestinians have been massacred including 18460 civilians, of these 12288 children and women. 36350 are injured, more than 7000 people are missing beneath the rubble and over 1.7 million people are internally displaced – the number of deaths and injured people are increasing daily.
We are united in our values of peace, non-violence and cooperation, and stand in solidarity with people under occupation.
This statement follows on from the 17 October 2023: https://sci.ngo/sci-and-ccivs-call-for-an-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza/
For more information about IVS actions : https://palestineforum.weebly.com/
1) https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/ending-complicity-to-international-crimes-a-two-way-arms-embargo-on-israel/
2) https://unctad.org/publication/economic-costs-israeli-occupation-palestinian-people-unrealized-oil-and-natural-ga
3) https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129722
4) As defined by human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International or the B’Tselem, among
others.
5) https://www.un.org/unispal/document-category/resolution/
6) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/15/lawyers-for-gaza-victims-file-case-at-international-criminal-court
7) https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/5908/Israel-hits-Gaza-Strip-with-the-equivalent-of-two-nuclear-bombs
Representatives of the undersigned International Voluntary Service (IVS) organizations and networks, participated in a 10 days study visit to Palestine in September 2022 organized by the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), hosted by BALADNA inside the green line and IPYL in the West Bank. This study visit which was originally planned to take place on the occasion of the 100 years anniversary of the first international workcamp in 2020 and postponed due to the C-19 pandemic, makes part of the former CCIVS Raising Peace Campaign, and sought to explore different ways to support the Palestinians in their quest for peace and liberation.
The visit was an eye opener, both enlightening and shocking. That is why we would like to share the following observations:
– Palestinians are living under an unprecedented and inconceivable beyond imagination apartheid regime, as recognised by international organisations such as Amnesty International, that strangles all aspects of their lives in terms of mobility, economy, social and cultural life, education, child detention, arbitrary killing of civilians, confiscation of land and property appropriation of natural resources.
– The State of Israel is attacking the Palestinian civil society movement, with a focus on Human Rights organizations that are exposing its inhumane treatment of the Palestinians and their quest to bring Israel to the ICC (International Criminals Court). Six Palestinian CSOs, active as human rights defenders, have been designated by Israel as terrorist organizations, as a way to mute their voices. The UN, EU and many international bodies rejected this decision, as Israel has no evidence to support its claims. However, still, the army has sabotaged and closed their offices. We stand in solidarity with these organisations and Palestinian and Israeli activists that are working for peace, justice and mutual understanding, to stop this Apartheid regime. about the unacceptable and humiliating treatment received at the Israeli airport by those attending the study visit and international volunteers in general.
– Some of the participants of the study visit experienced themselves unacceptable and humiliating treatment received at the Israeli airport on their arrival and on their way back.
IVS can be a very powerful solidarity tool, to provide support and empowerment to Palestinian youth activists and to raise awareness about their living conditions. Together we identified some possible actions that could be adopted by the IVS movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people,to:
– Support the organization of International Voluntary Service activities (study visits, workcamps, meetings) in Palestine and/or support projects in other parts of the world in solidarity with Palestinian people.
– Create crowd-funding to support the IVS organizations in Palestine to organize more study visits, joint IVS activities that can be used as a solidarity fund for sending and receiving volunteers.
– Launch a solidarity campaign with Palestine on the 29th of Nov 2022, the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine, with an online event open to IVS activists from all over the world.
