Israel's resumption of atrocities: Hope for peace dashed

After 42 days of ceasefire, Israel launched a series of bombings on the Gaza Strip on Monday night, killing 504 people in two days, according to Hamas, adding to the more than 48,000 people killed by the Israeli army since 8 October 2023. Emmaus International strongly condemns Israel’s unilateral and unacceptable resumption of attacks, which target civilian populations and constitute yet another violation of international humanitarian law.

After again blocking humanitarian aid access to Gaza in early March, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continues to implement a genocidal policy which includes targeting people and civilian infrastructure, widespread deprivation of water, electricity cuts and blocking the supply of fuel and essentials needed for the survival of the Palestinian population. These new strikes have physically and psychologically destroyed Palestinian civil society, which is still under the rubble. Israel has made Gaza home to the largest number of child amputees per capita in the world.

This week’s attacks have been openly supported by the Trump administration, whose attitude toward Israel has raised fears of an escalation of violence. In addition, there is a plan to take over the territory and forcibly displace the Gazan people.

In early March, a group of more than 200 legal experts, lawyers, judges and professors from around the world came together with UN experts and rapporteurs to legally qualify the crimes committed in Gaza as “genocide” and thus recall the legal obligations of states. There will be no peace without justice: in the face of the total indifference of Israel and the complicit states, civil society will raise its voice as long as it takes for sanctions to be imposed.

We join the calls of hundreds of organizations and social movements, as well as millions of people to demand:

• The immediate resumption of a lasting ceasefire, as agreed last 1 January 
• Unconditional access to humanitarian aid
• Urgent action by states and relevant bodies to prevent further mass atrocities committed by Israel, to uphold international law, and to impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for violations of the laws of war
• An end to the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territory
• The release of the hostages still captive