Amnesty Gathers $1 Mln Signatures Ceasefire in Gaza

Amnesty International has collected one million signatures from people around the world on a petition calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a press statement, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Director of Research, Advocacy, and Policy Campaigns at Amnesty International, expressed concern about the continuous Israeli airstrikes and ongoing ground operations, which have led to panic and civilian casualties.

She emphasized that the continuation of hostilities means the continuation and expansion of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7th, the death toll has risen to more than 11,100, including over 8,000 children and women, in a tally that remains provisional.

Guevara-Rosas added that Israel's tightening of its blockade on Gaza has left two million people without access to clean water, food, medical supplies, and fuel, resulting in the collapse of the healthcare system at a time when the number of wounded exceeds 25,000.

Over 1.5 million people have been forcibly displaced to the south of the Gaza Strip, according to Guevara-Rosas.

Signatories of the petition have called for the protection of civilians, while hundreds of thousands continue to protest worldwide, demanding an end to the violence.

However, their pleas have yet to receive significant attention from the international community.

Guevara-Rosas pointed out that Israeli authorities have persistently dehumanized Palestinians in their discourse while their forces bomb densely populated refugee camps, hospitals, UN-run schools, bakeries, mosques, churches, roads, and civilian homes, leading to the loss of entire families.

She stressed that the international community's inaction during over a month of civilian bloodshed, destruction, and unimaginable human suffering in Gaza is a stain on humanity's conscience.

Amnesty International calls for international action to achieve an immediate ceasefire, prevent further civilian casualties, and allow aid to reach those in dire need.