JVP welcomes reported temporary cessation in violence and return of Israeli and Palestinian women and children, and calls for a permanent ceasefire

JVP welcomes reports of a temporary cessation in violence and return of Israeli and Palestinian women and children as a first step, and calls for a permanent ceasefire.

A permanent ceasefire is urgently needed to save lives. In response to the call from Palestinian civil society, historic numbers of people across the U.S. and the world have risen up to make this demand, and we are now seeing that the pressure is working.

We welcome reports of a temporary reprieve from Israel’s brutal bombardment of Palestinian civilians, and of the entrance of more humanitarian aid reaching Palestinians in Gaza. We also welcome the release and return home of more Israeli civilians held by Hamas and of Palestinian women and children held by Israel. Every single life saved — Palestinian and Israeli — is saving a whole universe.

This is the moment to be loud and clear: we need a full and lasting ceasefire now. We will double our organizing. We will keep protesting, keep calling, keep pushing.

The Israeli government’s collective punishment and unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza cannot just be put on ‘pause’; it must be stopped. Fully.

Israel has killed more than 14,000 Palestinians, including over 5,800 children. Thousands more Palestinians are expected to die from starvation and dehydration. The situation in Gaza could not be more urgent or more dire. It will take Gaza a lifetime to recover. The families of Israeli hostages have been waiting for a month and a half for their loved ones.

This moment shows that a negotiated permanent ceasefire is possible. In fact, it is the only thing that will stop this violence. Once we have reached a permanent ceasefire, we cannot return to the status quo. We must address the root causes of injustice. A future of peace and safety for everyone, grounded in justice, freedom and equality for all, is still the only option.

There is no military solution. We need a political solution — and we cannot get there until we have a full and lasting ceasefire.

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