17 October, 2023
We at the Southasia Peace Action Network express our utter dismay and condemn the carnage and humanitarian crisis exploding in the Middle East. We unequivocally stand for peace and call for an immediate ceasefire.
Our hearts go out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and continue to lose lives in the violence and bombardments in Israel-Palestine, particularly children.
The carnage is unfathomable even by the standards of a region where Israel has long besieged over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, an open-air prison.
In Israel, families and communities are reeling from the horrors of the unpardonable attacks perpetrated by the armed group Hamas on October 7, which also claimed the lives of ten Nepali trainee farm workers besides visitors from several other countries.
Israel’s brutal response, bombing civilian areas, hospitals, and safety zones mercilessly, amounts to a death sentence for hundreds of thousands, including children, under siege in the occupied territory.
We remind the warring parties and their supporters that military force and the politics of hate can never achieve peace and security.
Recognising the inequality of the situation, we stand in solidarity with all those affected by the ongoing violence. We stand with the brave Palestinian and Israeli women who jointly call for an end to the killing, and with activists, who have been working together across divides, courageously protesting the oppression through peaceful means.
The humanitarian cost and generational trauma created by the longstanding violence, particularly its most recent iteration, impact people worldwide.
All efforts must be geared towards securing an immediate ceasefire. All civilians must be protected. State and non-state actors must be prevented from escalating violence. The world must ensure that international law prohibiting collective punishment is respected.
The international community must unite to stop the ongoing crimes against humanity, end this war, restore supplies, and work realistically toward a peaceful, humane, and sustainable solution.
Southasia Peace Action Network 