FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - July 30, 2024

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Gaza: Nearly 300 days into the war, attacks on 'humanitarian zones', never-ending relocation orders and aid worker fatalities cripple aid delivery

RAMALLAH, 30 JULY – Intensified Israeli airstrikes in areas of Gaza where aid organizations are providing services, including Israeli-designated “humanitarian zones” have resulted in mass civilian deaths and further shrinking space to deliver life-saving assistance, warn 20 international aid and advocacy agencies including Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP).

  
Nearly ten months into the escalation of hostilities in Gaza, Israeli authorities continue to issue relocation orders to Palestinians sheltering in areas previously deemed safe. Civilians are not given sufficient time to flee, and have nowhere safe to go. Recent intensified aerial bombardment in Gaza’s Middle Area where civilians previously sheltering in Rafah were told to flee, has been particularly deadly.  

All the while, crossing closures and attacks on aid agencies continue to hamper humanitarian efforts. On 13 July, NGO staff were killed, and between 21 and 24 July, both UNICEF and UNRWA came under fire: on 21 July, Israeli forces shot at a clearly marked UN convoy attempting to access Gaza City, despite coordination and approval by the Israeli authorities. UNICEF said that on 23 July, two clearly marked UNICEF convoys were hit by live fire while waiting at a designated holding point in Wadi Gaza as they traveled to reunite five children, including an infant, with their father. 

Over 200,000 Palestinians were displaced between 22-27 July after Israel issued so-called “evacuation orders”. UNRWA has said that some 86% of Gaza has been placed under so-called “evacuation orders” by Israeli Military forces, meaning that Israel expects Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians to seek shelter in only 14% of the strip.

The decimation of the health system and continuous relocation orders are causing severe overcrowding and stretching already constrained resources, exponentially increasing the risk of water-borne and infectious disease.  On 23 July, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a high risk of the polio virus spreading across Gaza, after traces were detected in six wastewater samples. WHO said that tens of thousands of children under age five are now at risk of contracting polio, and the possibility of international spread beyond Gaza cannot be ruled out. 

“Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) stands alongside international humanitarian and aid agencies that have been working diligently to meet the desperate needs of the majority population in Gaza that have suffered numerous displacements, the lack of access to basic services, and consistent bombardment and attacks for nearly 300 days. We call for unrestricted access to all necessary humanitarian assistance for those in need and the opening of an internationally facilitated long-term and permanent peace process.” ~ Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
 

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Recent CMEP Statements and Press Releases:

July 23, 2024 Prior to Netanyahu’s Congressional Speech, 200+ Global Bishops and Christian Leaders Call World Leaders to Institute a Permanent Gaza Ceasefire, Halt of Arms Sales to Israel, and Prevent Broader Regional War In a new letter, over 200 global Christian bishops and executive leaders urged world powers to end complicity in the ongoing violence and atrocities committed in Gaza as a part of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The letter calls for an immediate permanent ceasefire, work for the release of hostages and prisoners held without due process of law alike, the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to civilians, and halting all weapons and ammunition transfers to Israel to ensure they are being used according to international law.

July 22, 2024 CMEP to Hold Prayer Vigil Ahead of Netanyahu’s Congressional Address Christian groups, led by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) will gather to pray for an immediate end to the violence being committed in Gaza and for peace for the day ahead.

July 8, 2024 Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Stands with the Diocese of Jerusalem in Expressing Dismay at the Closure of Al Ahli Arab Anglican Hospital in Gaza The closure of the hospital, the evacuation, and the declaration of the area as a red zone, in addition to the firing upon the ambulance, are all unacceptable violations of humanitarian international law. International law demands that health establishments and units, including hospitals, should not be attacked. In addition, the already vulnerable, the wounded and the sick, and those seeking shelter should not be placed in further harm or jeopardy.

June 28, 2024: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Stands in Solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land as Israeli Municipalities Attempt to Collect Taxes on Church-owned Properties. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) stands in solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land as they undergo yet another attempt by Israeli municipalities to collect taxes on church-owned properties– a move that threatens the sustainability of the Churches to operate. CMEP recognizes the harm that these legal proceedings could cause to the ever-shrinking Christian community in this land. The Status Quo which has ensured religious freedom and harmony in the Holy Land must be protected.

June 21, 2024: CMEP affirms The Episcopal Church statement on Layan Nasir and detained Palestinians. The Episcopal Church is one of the founding members of CMEP’s 30-plus member communions committed to pursuing an end to the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. As the war on Gaza continues, we must not ignore the ongoing pressures Palestinians continue to face in other parts of the occupied Palestinian territories. CMEP stands with The Episcopal Church in advocating for the release of Layan Nasir, the Palestinian Christian woman who continues to be held unjustly in Israeli prison. We also call for an immediate end to the war on Gaza and for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, full humanitarian access, and the release of all hostages.

June 12, 2024: CMEP to Hold Special Briefing About the War on Gaza at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), will host a briefing and community conversation in Delaware on Christian responses to current events in Gaza and broader Israel/Palestine. The briefing will follow morning worship and is open to the Westminster community and the general public.

See all of our public statements and press releases.