Gaza: Ceasefire, Now!

No eco-social transition without peace and human rights!

It's been four months now since the Hamas attack killed 1,400 Israeli civilians, and Gaza is crumbling under bombs, killing more than 25,000 Palestinians to date, including more than 8,000 children. The humanitarian situation is so catastrophic that more and more voices are being raised to denounce an ongoing "genocide"¹. Today we add the voice of CELL.

For four months, bombs have been raining down on Gaza. In the midst of the rubble, every day, beyond the military threat, survivors already mourning the loss of a loved one - a husband, a wife, a child - face other invisible dangers: air and soil pollution, accumulated waste, contaminated drinking water... the war in Gaza has caused a health and environmental catastrophe of extreme proportions.

Carbon, bacteria, pesticides, hydrocarbons, etc., military operations in Gaza expose Palestinians to "a wide range of toxic substances" that threaten their health and biodiversity, reads an article in Le Monde dated February 2, 2024, echoing the words of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, David R. Boyd. Human Rights Watch deplores the probable use of banned weapons, such as white phosphorus, which can cause respiratory illnesses. Collapsing buildings generate debris and noxious dust that people breathe in every day. Damage to water infrastructure is causing serious health problems, as well as pollution, threatening biodiversity. Environmental changes are visible, and the land is deteriorating: 30,000 tons of bombs dropped in just a few weeks have destroyed farmland.

We can no longer watch this genocide without speaking out. To remain silent any longer is tantamount to supporting this massacre of the living. For those who have survived in inhuman conditions until now, for the fauna and flora who suffer without being able to express themselves in a way we can understand, for the respect of human rights: cease fire, now!

• The demilitarization of our world so that violence, bombing and the use of huge quantities of fossil fuels can no longer increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, divert financial & human resources from the greatest existential threat facing humanity, contaminate soils for decades to come, and leave behind poisoned nature and broken spirits. A demilitarized world is a world that has stopped destroying the foundations of life.²
• Recognition of the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples, particularly the Palestinian people. Deprived of the right to manage their land, water and resources, these people are rendered more vulnerable to climate-related events. Recognizing this right is part of dismantling exploitative systems and a matter of climate justice, protecting them from the destruction of livelihoods, land and water grabbing, discriminatory planning laws, evictions and forced displacement.
• An end to the occupation of Palestine, without which any solution would only be temporary. For over half a century, Palestinians have been crushed by colonization. It is the continuation of this colonization and apartheid regime that has led to this terrible escalation of violence.

A fairer world will not be built alone, but together through collective political action. This is why we join in the calls for an immediate ceasefire, respect for international humanitarian law and human rights, and the provision of humanitarian access and support. These demands also reflect the international community's stance following the vote at the United Nations General Assembly.â

Finally, we call on you to join the demonstrations that are regularly organized in Luxembourg City, for a demilitarized world, climate justice, and the self-determination of indigenous peoples.