Dear Friends,

We write with an urgent request to join our collective Letters for Gaza effort, emerging from partnerships made at the Multi-Faith International Peacemakers Forum in Washington, D.C with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, The Telos Group, and American Friends of Combatants for Peace.

Last week, a member of Congress told us that he’s received around 200,000 letters on Gaza since October 7th. While he has obtained substantial outreach on the issue, the handwritten notes with personal stories were the ones that inspired him to act.

In Gaza, the situation is beyond urgent as casualties continually increase. According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 16,000 children have been killed since October 7th. That’s one child every 40 minutes. Children are dying not just from bombs and air raids but also from dehydration and hunger.

The UN estimated that 500 trucks of aid are needed daily to meet basic needs. After an 11-week aid embargo, a small trickle of aid has crossed over. The new Israeli and US-backed aid plan, GHF, has resulted in chaos. The American Security Contractors in charge aim to feed over 1 million people through only 4 distribution sites. This is a sharp departure from the over 400 aid distribution sites run by the UN. GHF has successfully distributed only 500,000 meals each day for a population of over 2 million, amounting to less than 1 meal every 4 days. Furthermore, GHF aid packs do not contain vital resources such as hygiene kits, water purification systems, and medical aid. The risk of starvation is imminent. 

In the wake of the mass destruction and threats to human life, it is vital that Congress hears from their constituents who support a swift de-escalation of violence. We are preparing for our next moment of collective action and need you with us. Write a letter to your Representative and Senators today urging them to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and reinstate a ceasefire.

Take Action:

• Write a letter. Grab fresh paper. Pour your outrage into a handwritten letter to your members of Congress.
• Multiply your impact. Ask your pastor, rabbi, imam, or community leader to host a letter-writing gathering the weekend of June 15th.
• Show the world. Snap a photo as you write or mail your letter. Or better yet, record a video with your letter in hand and tell the world why you refuse to look away. You can email your photo/video to office@afcfp.org or post with #LettersforGaza and tag us on social media to help amplify the call.

PLEDGE TO WRITE A LETTER NOW

Our goal: flood every Congressional mailbox. The catastrophic effects of mass starvation and military raids necessitate an immediate ceasefire. Purposeful starvation of the Palestinian people amounts to a violation of international human rights law; Congress must act now.    

With love, grief, and steadfast hope,
Churches for Middle East Peace, in partnership with American Friends Service Committee, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, Telos Group, and American Friends of Combatants for Peace.