Hands Off Gaza! Ceasefire Now! Stop Genocide! End Concentration Camp!
Statement by Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO)
February 25, 2024
Palestinians in Gaza have endured nearly 5 months of genocidal bombardment and the blockade of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies at the hands of the Israeli Zionist regime. In every step, every war crime committed by the Israeli apartheid regime, their U.S. backers have aided, funded, armed and given the political clearance for the bloodshed to continue. On February 20, the United Nations Security Council voted on a resolution put forward on behalf of Arab States by Algeria demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Despite support from 13 other members, the U.S. used their veto power and voted against the resolution for ceasefire, giving the Israeli regime the greenlight to continue their genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This is also despite the millions of people in the U.S. and world-wide who are on the streets, continuously demanding “Ceasefire Now!” What the world recognizes is that there can be no political solution to 75 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine, no peace, until there is an immediate ceasefire. The world is united with Palestinians in Gaza who need an immediate stop to the killing and destruction, and for humanitarian aid to be reinstated.
Israel — Hands Off Gaza!
The need for humanitarian aid blocked by Israel is dire, as Palestinians in Gaza are facing unprecedented starvation, lack of water and a collapsed health system. This forced starvation is especially serious in the north, where according to a February 19 World Health Organization report, 1 in 6 children under the age of 2 is acutely malnourished and across Gaza 90% of children under the age of 2 and 95% of pregnant and breastfeeding women face severe food poverty. Yet due to unsubstantiated and irrelevant slander by the Israeli regime against the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), 16 countries have suspended funding to UNRWA, which is the main lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza and which relies on funding to deliver desperately needed food, water, fuel and medical supplies. Imperialist countries who have cut funding are the same giving Israel support for their genocide, including the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. MAWO joins the world-wide call for funding to UNRWA to be reinstated immediately!
Israel — Hands Off Rafah!
In nearly 5 months of Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza, civilians, women and children have been indiscriminately targeted. Today the massacre of civilians has reached new levels, targeting Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Rafah has grown 5 times its usual population to 1.5 million, full of Palestinian families displaced from across Gaza, sheltering in tents and already facing disease, lack of sanitation, lack of clean water supplies and starvation. Palestinians were told they could find safety from Israeli bombardment in Rafah, yet on February 11 to 12 Israeli forces attacked Rafah with air and sea strikes, killing more than 100 Palestinians, including many children sheltering with their families in tents. This unthinkable horror has continued with further airstrikes in the last two weeks, and the ongoing threat of ground invasion from the Israeli regime — despite worldwide condemnation that further attacks and a ground invasion on Rafah will be catastrophic.
Israel Must Comply with ICJ Demands
The world is watching and speaking up on numerous fronts against the brutal Israeli genocide. The expected International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling announcement came in on January 26, 2024. The South Africa Petition charging Israel of genocide in the ICJ, which was supported and endorsed by more than 70 countries, demanded that the Israeli racist regime be put on trial for committing genocide in Gaza. Although the January 26 ICJ ruling did not directly and clearly condemn Israel’s genocide practice in Gaza and did not call for an immediate ceasefire, it did implicitly recognize Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It implied the South African case charging the Zionist regime of genocide could proceed, and it rejected the Israeli regime’s request to dismiss the case altogether. In other words, the ICJ upgraded the legal status of Israel in the ICJ from suspected genocide to accused of genocide, establishing that there is substantial evidence to proceed with the trial. This crushing defeat isolated Israel further worldwide.
In part, the ICJ court ruling reads, “The State of Israel shall, in relation to Palestinians, ensure that its military, as well as any irregular armed units or individuals which may be directed, supported or otherwise influenced by it and any organizations and persons which may be subject to its control, direction or influence, do not commit any acts…or engage in direct and public incitement to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, or complicity in genocide…” The ICJ’s reference to genocide numerous times is an indication of how well South Africa’s legal team laid the charge of genocide against the Israeli regime.
The ICJ ruling is a tremendous victory for the Palestinian struggle for their liberation and self-determination, as well as a significant defeat for the Israeli genocidal Zionist regime. This colossal victory did not come because the ICJ and its judges genuinely favour Palestine. The ICJ is proceeding with the case due to the pressure created by the heroic Palestinian struggle, their uncompromising will and resilience to Israel’s brutality, suppression, and criminal practices. Also, growing mass opposition worldwide to Israel’s war crimes and genocide in the previous 100 days, from thousands to millions, reinforced the visibility of crimes by Israel. Consequently, it substantially reduced the room for maneuvering for the U.S., Israel and their imperialist allies, such as Canada. The ICJ and all other UN institutions have been created for conflict resolution in favour of imperialist countries. However, the Palestinian genocide could not be denied or swept under the rug by the ICJ. The case was overwhelmingly proven even before the ICJ court ruling, with tens of millions worldwide rallying and marching on the streets of more than one hundred countries for over a hundred days.
Canada’s Shameful Position
Shamefully, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mélanie Joly, released a statement in support of Israel. In a statement, Foreign Minister Joly said, “Canada supports the ICJ’s critical role in the peaceful settlement of disputes and its work in upholding the international rules-based order.” And further, “Our support for the ICJ does not mean that we accept the premise of the case brought by South Africa.” That is to say, the Liberal government of Canada welcomes and endorses the result of ICJ only if it is in favour of Canada and other imperialist countries. This is a sheer hypocrisy not democracy.
With all its limitations and shortcomings, the ICJ ruling is an enormous setback for all imperialist countries, including Canada. The U.S., Canada, and their imperialist allies, alongside Israel, have been vehemently denying the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Thus, they are all complicit in the crimes of the genocidal regime of Israel through political, economic, and military support.
Today, the Israeli regime is accelerating its criminal bombing and reinforcing the total blockade of Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza are facing famine and disease. While the heroic struggle of the Palestinians persists for a long time to come, we must double and triple our efforts to build a worldwide united front in solidarity with Palestine. Only the consistently organized militant mass movement can effectively support the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and liberation.
Mobilize! Organize! & Fight Back!
The Israeli Zionist regime’s continued dehumanization, murder, and genocide of the people in Gaza is leading towards a holocaust. For nearly 5 months the Israeli Zionist apartheid regime has been committing genocide with their brutal bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, now surpassing over 32,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, over 70% of whom are women and children. That gruesome number means Israel has killed 1 out of every 100 people living in Gaza. Among those killed by Israel, more than 125 journalists and 310 health workers have been killed. More than 100,000 Palestinians are wounded, while Gaza’s health system is in a state of total collapse due to Israeli bombing and blockade, along with the bombing and destruction of schools, churches, mosques, homes, and water, fuel and sanitation infrastructure. Israeli racist and criminal attacks on Palestinians in West Bank have also escalated, with over 398 Palestinians killed, thousands wounded, and more than 9,000 imprisoned.
On October 7, 2023 for the first time in the last 75 years of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Israel’s so-called invincibility and impunity seems to have crumbled entirely. Now, everyone can see that the king has no clothes.
CeaseFire Now!
Israel is going through a deepening social and political crisis. That’s why the Israeli racist government is so angry and has been committing war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Therefore, this “humanitarian truce” or any ceasefire should by no means be seen as a real solution to the genocidal war by Zionist Israel against Palestinians, both inside and outside of Gaza. The Israeli apartheid regime has announced numerous times that it will continue bombing Gaza after any ceasefire or “humanitarian truce.”
As the struggle of Palestinians continues against the occupation and for the liberation of Palestine, we must continue our mobilization, organization and fight back. Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) endorses, supports, and will continue to organize actions and mobilizations in solidarity with Palestine and encourages supporters to join in and stay on the streets!
It is clear that October 7, 2023 marked a turning point in the over 75 years of the genocidal and racist Zionist Israeli occupation of Palestine. In an unprecedented move, Palestinian resistance fighters from Gaza launched defensive military operations in Israel including air, sea, and ground attacks, surprising Israel and catching one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world unawares.
Imperialists and Israeli Zionist Regime Propaganda!
The Israeli Zionist propaganda machine and mainstream imperialist media are frantically trying to paint Israel as a victim of terrorism and has launched a vicious dehumanization campaign against Palestinians, openly calling Palestinian people monsters and human animals. However, it is evident that this is a war and the actions of Palestinian resistance fighters are an act of defense in this war. This war has been one of oppressor against oppressed and did not start on October 7 but has been waged since 1948 when Israel was founded as a state on the land of Palestine by imperialist countries, with the false recognition and legitimization of the United Nations. Resisting oppression and occupation is not terrorism, fighting for dignity is not terrorism. The Palestinian people have been fighting for their right to self-determination and the right to return to their homes, which were brutally taken away by the Zionist Israeli regime.
Palestinian History of Genocide by Zionist Israel
Decades over decades, the Palestinian people have faced forced expulsion from their cities and villages to overcrowded refugee camps, which in Gaza constitutes the 3rd most densely populated place on earth. Palestinians have faced ethnic cleansing and massacres, with over 10,748 Palestinians killed since September 29, 2000, including over 2,434 Palestinian children killed — previous to October 7, 2023. Palestinians especially in the West Bank have faced an ongoing Israeli Zionist policy of home demolitions, with over 56,502 Palestinian homes demolished by Israel since 1967, not including homes destroyed through bombing campaigns against Gaza. Palestinians also are subject to arbitrary detentions and torture. Out of 9,000 Palestinian political prisoners, over 2,000 are held without charge or trial under indefinitely renewable administrative detention orders, many of whom are children as young as 12 years old. Daily life for Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank is defined by occupation, with checkpoints and blockades limiting freedom of movement even to jobs and school, lack of access to food, water, medicines and basic necessities, and the constant threat of military attack from the Israeli Zionist regime’s military or racist Zionist settlers.
In the last year, the life under Israeli occupation has gotten measurably worse. The UN declared 2023 as the deadliest year for Palestinians since it started counting deaths in 2006, even before the current indiscriminate Israeli assault on Gaza. From January 2023 until the beginning of October, Israeli forces and racist Zionist settlers killed more than 250 people in the West Bank, including over 50 children. There have been repeated Israeli military assaults into areas of West Bank, including three major Israeli military incursions into the Jenin refugee camp. In Jenin, during these attacks Palestinians were terrorized and killed by deadly airstrikes, hundreds of Israeli ground troops, helicopter gunships, rockets and armoured vehicles, and faced destroyed homes and massively damaged sewage and water networks. In a further insult to Palestinians, worshipers at Al Aqsa Mosque in al-Quds (also known as Jerusalem) have faced repeated raids and attacks by Zionist Israeli police and military, as well as by racist Israeli settlers.
This has all been part of a genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli regime, led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu who since 2019 has repeatedly proposed and planned to annex the West Bank and Gaza. This is nothing new, but a longstanding policy of ethnic cleansing since 1948. In September 1992, former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin told a delegation from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy “I would like Gaza to sink into the sea”.
Self-determination for Palestine!
For over 75 years, Palestinians have tried every avenue to assert their right to self-determination, including legal and diplomatic measures. 78 resolutions in the United Nations demanding that Israel respect various aspects of Palestinian human rights have been repeatedly violated. All so-called solutions imposed by imperialists and Israel on Palestinians since 1948, especially the Oslo Accord in 1993, have not brought peace. Instead, as planned they have prolonged and expanded the racist Zionist Israeli occupation and war against Palestine. From October 7, 2023, the defensive military operation of Palestinian resistance fighters from Gaza into Israel has effectively ended all deceitful plans in the past, present and future. Today the tide is turning as Palestinians won’t accept any false promises or distractions and are fighting for their self-determination and right to exist as a nation and to form a nation-state.
Today the world is watching as the Zionist Israeli military is launching a massive attack on Gaza, indiscriminately collapsing whole apartment complexes, and targeting homes and hospitals. The Israeli Zionist Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised to turn Gaza into a “deserted island” and told Palestinian civilians to leave the territory. This warning to Palestinians to leave Gaza is entirely outrageous — Gaza is an open-air prison, with a population of over 2.3 million Palestinians that are essentially prisoners with absolutely no freedom of movement. Since 2005 Palestinians in Gaza have been blockaded by Israel by air, sea and land, surrounded a 65km long, 20 feet high concrete, iron and steel wall with radar systems, sniper towers and underground sensors. For 18 years Israel has controlled and restricted access to anything moving in or out of Gaza, including water, food, medicine, fuel, and electricity, and even Palestinians, journalists, aid organizations and visitors ability to leave or enter Gaza.
Imperialist governments, led by the United States, are declaring their support for Israel. The US has moved aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean sea and several air force squadrons to the region, as well as has promised additional munitions to Israel. This imperialist support for Israel isn’t because their governments really care about the Israeli people — since the Balfour Declaration by the British government in 1917, to the formation of Israel on Palestinian land, Israel has always been an imperialist project, first for Britain and today for the United States. Israel is the US forward base into West Asia, a foothold in the region from which to launch surveillance, military attacks, wars, and occupations, and to expand their plunder of resources and markets. The US imperialist new era of war and occupation has accelerated their drive for hegemony in the region, which we have seen since the war and occupation of Afghanistan in 2001, and continued with the war on Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen. This is why Israel as a Zionist racist and apartheid regime has never been a truly functional legitimate state. Without the economic, financial and military support of the US and their imperialist allies, including Canada, Israel cannot survive more than a few weeks. The US supplies more than $4 billion a year in military aid to Israel, and in 2022 the US provided Israel with at least $13.1 million per day in military aid. Canada also provides military aid and exports to Israel, and Canadian bank Scotiabank is the largest foreign investor in Elbit Systems, a major Israeli weapons manufacturer, who sells “battle tested” drones — battle tested against Palestinian people.
No Justice, No Peace! Palestine Will be Free!
We have been lied to for years that the Israel-Palestine conflict is “complicated,” and peace is distant. Before the Zionist project with the support of Britain and other imperialists imposed the state of Israel on Palestinian land, Palestinians of Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith lived in harmony side by side for centuries. Despite the claims that Israel needed to be created as a “safe” homeland for Jewish people, there can be no safety when that state is imposed by a genocidal occupation, as has been done on Palestinian land. This was just a convenient solution for racism in Europe and North America, where historically and today Jewish people face antisemitism, where Jewish people should have the right to live without discrimination. In fact, the safest place historically and today for Jewish people has been in West Asian countries, side by side with their Muslim neighbours! The solution that we are told is complicated is in fact simple. Palestinian’s legitimate demand for the right to self-determination must be met, preferably a single democratic state with the fundamental right of one person, one vote, where Palestinian and Jewish people can live in together in peace and harmony. It is only the Zionist regime and their imperialist backers that are blocking this only viable solution from becoming a reality. If it this could happen in South Africa, it can happen in the entire land of Palestine today from the river to the sea.
Today solidarity with Palestine is more important that ever. While the imperialist and Zionist narrative tries to get support for the massacre of Palestinians that the Israeli military is unleashing on Gaza, it is up to the solidarity movement worldwide to demand an end to 75 years of Israeli Zionist occupation. Since October 7th, millions of people in more than 100 countries around the globe are protesting against the Zionist Israeli regime and in defense of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. Today in Palestine and around the world, we are fighting for a new path forward against imperialism, against Zionism, and for the Palestinian right to self-determination.
Ceasefire Now!
End Canadian Complicity!
Stop Bombing Rafah!
Stop Bombing Gaza!
End the Siege on Gaza Now!
End the Israeli genocide in Gaza Now!
Free Free Palestine!
Self-Determination for Palestine!
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
