Last week, a ceasefire deal was finally reached between Israel and Hamas, bringing urgently needed relief for the Palestinian and Israeli families who have suffered through over two years of horrors.
Thank you for helping make this moment possible.
More than two million Amnesty supporters across over 167 Countries and Territories took action: donating, signing petitions and contacting their leaders to demand change. It’s because of the actions of human rights champions that we’ve seen a breakthrough.
The release of the last 20 Israeli hostages from the Occupied Gaza Strip and at least 1,966 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, including around 1,700 detainees held without trial or charge by Israel, marks a critical step in the ceasefire.
With it brings long-awaited relief for so many families, paired with immense heartbreak for what has been lost along the way.
Watch our Ceasefire Deal Explainer here
This is just the beginning
While we welcome this progress, this is just the beginning. We cannot allow this to be just another brief respite in Israel’s ongoing genocide. We have already seen that Israel has continued drone strikes in Gaza, halved the agreed number of aid trucks to be allowed in and the Rafah Crossing has not been opened.
Palestinians in Gaza must receive the humanitarian aid they desperately need. Families who were forcibly displaced in Gaza must be able to return to their homes without fear of attacks by the Israeli military.
We cannot allow this fragile ceasefire to break and descend back into relentless bombardment and starvation of more than two million Palestinians who are not returning to homes, but rubble.
The joyful scenes of those released reunited with their loved ones must be followed by a complete end of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and a total lifting of Israel’s unlawful 18-year siege, as well as the release of all arbitrarily detained Palestinians.
There is a long road ahead to ensure the protection of the human rights of all civilians in the region. The suffering will continue if we don’t break the cycle of violence by ending Israel’s brutal and unlawful occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem as ordered by the International Court of Justice, and dismantle Israel’s system of oppression and domination of apartheid.
Amnesty International will continue to play an essential role in the monitoring of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel and help ensure that the ceasefire holds.
In the days and weeks ahead, these are our priorities — and why we need your continued involvement.
We will not rest until:
- The current ceasefire is respected and sustained permanently to protect all civilians;
- Israel allows lifesaving supplies to urgently reach all parts of Gaza to ensure the survival of Palestinians;
- Israel lifts its unlawful blockade of Gaza;
- The Australian government implements a two-way arms embargo, including F-35 components that Israeli Government is using to commit human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide;
- All displaced Palestinians in Gaza can return to their land, and that ultimately, Palestinian refugees can return to their land throughout Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
- Israel grants access to independent human rights monitors into Gaza to uncover evidence and reveal the extent of violations;
- Justice and reparations for victims of crimes and accountability for perpetrators is secured;
- Israel dismantles its brutal system of apartheid that it imposes on all Palestinians and ends its unlawful occupation; and
- Palestinians can fully and meaningfully participate in all decisions about their future.
The good news is that after two years of horror after horror, war crime after war crime, we now have a real window of opportunity to make meaningful progress on these demands and Amnesty’s investigations, documentation, and advocacy will be as important as ever.
We will continue to draw on the strength of ten million supporters backing Amnesty’s work. Together, we will secure justice and accountability.
Thank you for being part of our people powered movement of ordinary people creating extraordinary change.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
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