Ceasefire Deal Will Save Lives

Last Updated on February 5, 2025.
Washington – Win Without War Executive Director, Sara Haghdoosti, released the following statement following announcements of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas:
“We celebrate today’s announcement of a coming pause to the Israeli government’s horrific violence in Gaza and the impending return of hostages to their families.
“We call on all parties to use the deal as a path to permanently ending the war in Gaza, getting all hostages home, and ensuring that people across Palestine and Israel can live in peace and dignity. There must also be an immediate, urgent effort to deal with the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ensure that everyone there has – at minimum – access to water, food and medication.
“We thank the ceasefire advocates across the country and world, without whose tireless efforts this deal would not have come to pass. This time last year the Biden Administration refused to even utter the world ‘ceasefire’ – and only got there because of renewed consistent pressure from hostage families, activists, aid workers, and movement leaders in the US and around the world.
“This deal shows that – despite what naysayers have claimed for the past 14 months – U.S. pressure on the Israeli government works. U.S. leverage can halt the Netanyahu government’s campaign of collective punishment. If only our leaders could have heeded ceasefire advocates’ calls far earlier, tens of thousands of lives would have been saved.
“This deal is a major step forward, but it is not the end of the war. Netanyahu and extremists in his government are already seeking ways to renege on the deal and resume bombing Palestinians in Gaza. We must continue to push for the US government to do all that it can, including using pressure to ensure everyone in Israel and Palestine can live with dignity and thrive without the fear of violence.”
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Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.
January 15, 2025