The 46th Legislative District Democrats of Washington State passed a CEASEFIRE resolution on March 22, 2024

Resolution In Support of an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

WHEREAS all human life is precious and the targeting of civilians, no matter their faith, ethnicity, or nationality, is a violation of international humanitarian law; and the imposition of collective punishment is widely understood to be immoral, is prohibited by international law, and is recognized as a war crime; (1)

WHEREAS in response to the brutality of the attack by Hamas on October 7, in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 people were kidnapped (2) (over 100 of whom still remain in captivity (3)), the Israeli military has imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip, depriving over two million Palestinians of water, food, electricity, fuel, access to medical care, transportation and internet. In the 123 days since, armed violence has claimed the lives of over 27,000 Palestinians (4) (the majority of whom are women and children) in Gaza and 372, including 94 children, in the WestBank; (5), (6)

WHEREAS there are still over 100 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, including elders and young children; the vast majority of hostages successfully freed were returned during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023, when 105 hostages were released; (7) with senior Israeli military leaders asserting that freeing the hostages “can be secured only through diplomatic rather than military means”; (8)

WHEREAS according to the World Health Organization, “The latest Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC) report (9) found devastating levels of food insecurity in Gaza and confirmed that nearly the entire population of Gaza – roughly two million people – are in crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity” and with UNICEF estimating in mid-January that “in the next few weeks, child wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition in children, could increase from pre-crisis conditions by nearly 30 percent, affecting up to 10,000 children” (10);

WHEREAS as of November, the Israeli military admitted to having dropped 10,000 bombs on Gaza (an average of 72 bombs per square mile in an area with a population density of 14,000 people per square mile), and as of January, Gaza’s media office reported that Israel had dropped over 71,000 tons of bombs on Gaza; with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that 69,000 housing units have been destroyed, nearly 300,000 damaged, and half a million people will have no home to return to; (11)

WHEREAS hundreds of thousands of lives are at inescapable risk without an immediate long-term ceasefire, restoration of basic necessities, and delivery of adequate humanitarian aid without delay to the Palestinian people;

WHEREAS our elected leaders hold immense diplomatic power to prevent the further loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives, along with the lives of American soldiers and civilians throughout the region who are being inexorably drawn into this conflict;

WHEREAS the continuation of war in Gaza is sparking military conflicts involving multiple countries and non-state actors, creating a growing risk of regional or even world war;

WHEREAS according to a November 2023 Ipsos/Reuters poll (12), 68% of the American public supports a ceasefire, and according to a December 2023 NYTimes/Siena poll (13), a majority of Democrats (59%) agree that Israel should stop its military campaign in order to protect against civilian casualties, even if not all hostages have been released, and millions of people worldwide, including from the 46th LD, have joined in nonviolent protests since October 7 to amplify this call;

WHEREAS antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab bigotry have risen significantly in the Seattle area, across the United States, and around the world in the past four months, with direct impacts on our local communities, and all of these forms of bigotry, violence, and oppression serve to divide our communities and weaken our efforts to achieve collective safety, justice, and true multi-ethnic, multi-racial democracy here and everywhere;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 46th Legislative District Democrats condemn both the attack on October 7, 2023 by Hamas, and the Israeli military’s disproportionate response on the over two million Palestinian people living in Gaza, nearly half of whom are children, as well as efforts to hold all Jews or Israelis responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, or to hold all Palestinians or Muslims responsible for the actions of Hamas.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 46th Legislative District Democrats call on members of the Congressional delegation in Washington to support and sign on to HR 786, “Calling for an immediate deescalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine,” co-sponsored by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and to advocate more broadly for an immediate long-term ceasefire agreement and delivery of adequate humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 46th Legislative District Democrats affirm our commitment to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab bigotry, our support for the people of both Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security, and the right of all people to live, learn, work, play, pray, and engage in peaceful protest without threats, intimidation, violence, or death.

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1 https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/collective-punishments

2 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/thai-workers-held-hostage-by-hamas-describe-kidnappings-and-recovery-after-release

3 https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-01-27/us-sees-signs-of-progress-on-deal-to-release-hostages-bring-temporary-pause-to-israel-hamas-war

4 https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/live-updates-death-toll-gaza-passes-27000-south-106861226#:~:text=CAIRO%20%E2%80%94%20The%20toll%20from%20Israel's,territory's%20Health%20Ministry%20said%20Thursday.

5 https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-109#:~:text=Violence%20and%20casualties%20

6 https://apnews.com/article/war-gaza-israel-hamas-100-numbers-death-c4d6d42269c3cd6bf74d4e6fc612114e

7 https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-hostage-deal-would-put-goal-of-toppling-hamas-at-risk-but-not-out-of-reach/

8 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/20/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-hostages-strategy.html

9 https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-94/en/

10 https://www.who.int/news/item/15-01-2024-preventing-famine-and-deadly-disease-outbreak-in-gaza-requires-faster--safer-aid-access-and-more-supply-routes

11 https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-92

12 https://www.reuters.com/world/us-public-support-israel-drops-majority-backs-ceasefire-reutersipsos-202

13 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/19/us/elections/times-siena-poll-registered-voter-crosstabs.html?smid=nytcore-android-share