Oxfam calls for ceasefire and protection of civilians in Israel and Gaza
The terrifying escalation of violence in Gaza and Israel is leaving the people of Gaza in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes with nowhere to go. People have lost family and friends, homes and income. Oxfam warns that an all-out ground invasion of Gaza will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
"What my colleagues and my family in Gaza are saying is: it has never been this bad... There is no water. No electricity, no fuel. Food is running out... The situation is really difficult."
Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam Policy Officer in Palestine and Israel, Ramallah
The deadliest day in Israel's history has left over 1,500 people dead in Israel and Gaza, with many more injured. This comes in what has already been the deadliest year in the West Bank and now in Gaza. Oxfam has suspended all its humanitarian work and programmes in Gaza due to the ongoing airstrikes and violence, but will resume work on water, food and sanitation as soon as possible.
- Our colleagues are sending us terrifying messages; they are taking shelter in their homes or are on the run with their extended families, some trying to find safety in hospitals already damaged by airstrikes. They are in the dark, pleading to know what is happening," said Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International's Executive Director:
- The world can see that Israel's evacuation order is both completely inhumane and impossible; the Israeli government must lift it immediately. We ask the international community to use its utmost influence to intervene - hospitals are full of patients, women, children and elderly people who cannot move. It is incumbent on Israel to respect international humanitarian law; they must distinguish between military and civilian targets. We call on the Israeli government to immediately revoke this order and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"The world can see that Israel's evacuation order is both completely inhumane and impossible."
Amitabh Behar, Chief Executive of Oxfam International
The UN has reported that there are currently over 180,000 displaced people in Gaza, 135,000 of whom are taking refuge in already crowded UN aid agency schools. Families are facing severe shortages of food, water and sanitation, and many are trapped in their homes, with nowhere to run.
- Oxfam is appalled by the recent attacks. Violence never paves the way for peace. The international community must use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to secure an immediate ceasefire," said Mustafa Tamaizeh, Oxfam's acting country director in Palestine and Israel:
"A ground invasion of Gaza would constitute collective punishment of a population that bears no responsibility for the violence, and violates international law. It will not contribute to peace and security, instead it will further fuel this crisis."
Mustafa Tamaizeh, Oxfam's Acting Country Director in Palestine and Israel
Oxfam in Palestine and Israel
Oxfam has been working in Palestine and Israel since the 1950s and established a country office in the 1980s. We work with the most vulnerable communities in Gaza, East Jerusalem and Area C, the 61% of the West Bank where the Israeli government has full military and civilian control.
In Gaza, Oxfam works with Palestinian women, men and youth to improve their livelihoods and increase their economic opportunities, combat gender-based violence and inequality, and ensure access to basic needs and fundamental rights through our humanitarian work.
Oxfam International's Executive Director, Amitabh Behar, has signed an open letter together with 11 other humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza:
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