For Immediate Release: September 30, 2024
PORTLAND, OR – In response to the violent assault on Lebanon and the ongoing war in Gaza by the Israeli government, the War Prevention Initiative urgently calls on the Biden administration to use its influence to prevent a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon and to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. We urge the administration to halt the provision of weapons to the Israeli government immediately and to actively engage in diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The United States government, bound by its legal and moral obligations, must take these steps to prevent further loss of life and to promote peace in the Middle East. The U.S. government cannot credibly advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza while simultaneously approving major arms shipments to the Israeli military used for indiscriminate and deadly bombings in Lebanon and Gaza. This ongoing military support highlights its hypocrisy when it comes to condemning egregious acts of terror. There is no justification for the large-scale harm inflicted on civilians by the Israeli government. Such actions only perpetuate the cycle of violence and deepen the humanitarian crisis.
We unequivocally condemn all acts of violence by any group or government. The violence perpetrated by the Israeli government, Hezbollah, and Hamas is counterproductive to a long-term political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, killing innocent civilians and pushing the region further away from peace. However, we recognize the significant power imbalance and disproportionality in the Israeli government’s escalating bombings and land invasion in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as its rejection of global calls for a ceasefire. According to ACLED, an independent organization collecting and analyzing data on political violence worldwide, “Israel, Hezbollah, and other Lebanese groups have exchanged more than 9,613 attacks between October 7 and September 6. About 82% of these attacks were carried out by Israeli forces, which killed at least 646 people in Lebanon.” The Israeli military has already killed over 1,000 people in recent bombings of Lebanon, putting the region at risk of full-scale war.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General.” The Israeli government killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and injured almost 100,000, famine has spread throughout the Gaza strip, and disease is spreading in a collapsed healthcare system. Similarly, the escalation of violence between Israel and Lebanon threatens to plunge the region into further chaos and destruction. Guterres warned, “The world cannot afford [Lebanon] turning into another Gaza.”
We echo the sentiments expressed by other peace organizations: the Biden administration and the international community must take decisive action to de-escalate tensions and promote peace. The ongoing violence is not only unbearable for those directly affected but also a threat to global stability and security. The lives of Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, and everyone else in the region are less safe because of the large-scale violence committed by the Israeli government.
The violence in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon takes place in part within the misguided notion of militarized security wherein the use of force is heralded as the only means to resolve conflict. We continue our work aimed at dismantling the structural drivers of the violence and steadfast commitment to nonviolent conflict resolution so that all people can live in peace with justice.
[Updated on Tuesday, October 1st 2024 at 9:00am Pacific Time to reflect new updates in the conflict.]
