"all is shrapnel and hunger none is safe all are waiting between wall and wait and sea and wall there is no day"
from Suheir Hammad

As of August 19^th, there have been over 2,000 deaths in Gaza. Most are women and children including even unborn children. Over 10,000 have been injured.. In addition, there are approximately 450,000 displaced people from a population of mostly refugees from 1948 or 1967 which had been 1.7 million.

The ceasefire ended in the middle of families beginning to reckon with loss of family members, homes, and life. They were counting who is still alive, dead, or injured. All are damaged and traumatized. Children are still drawing pictures of the bombing or writing their names on their bodies in case they are blown up and their parents need to find their body parts. Nobody is sleeping not just because there are no beds or even houses but because you could be bombed in a minute with or without warning, and especially that Israel pulled out of the negotiations and called back its team from Egypt.

Water and electricity are scarce and many neighborhoods still have no water or electricity. As families were looking at the remnants of their houses, their neighborhoods started being bombed again, as if the earlier destruction was not enough! It is a humanitarian disaster area say relief agency leaders. And now the bombing has resumed.

As the Gazans look for safe places to shelter and take stock of what is gone or left, how are you reckoning with the killing of civilians? How are you reckoning with your country's complicity in selling arms? Your country's blocking of criminal charges at the international court of justice? Your country's support of Israel's right to security or defense at the cost of massive civilian deaths or Palestine’s right to self defense as an occupied people?

Is it proportionate and legitimate to decimate whole neighborhoods like Shujaiya? Or bomb hospitals and UN shelters? Is it proportionate and legitimate to target journalists and healthcare workers? Use banned weapons that blow people to bits? The day of reckoning is upon us. What are you going to do as a person, as YWCA's, as women organizations, as human rights organizations and individuals, as a faith communities, churches, community leaders and as a citizens of the world?

We, here at the YWCA of Palestine, ask you to stand with the people of Gaza by taking the following actions:

• Call on your governments to convene the Security Council and to find a lasting, sustainable and just solution to the Palestinian problem.
• Immediately and urgently support the lifting of the siege on Gaza;
• Support arms and trade embargos and other actions related to the BDS global movement;
• Support Palestinians taking Israel to the Criminal Court of Justice for war crimes.
• Support the protection of women and children in compliance with UNSCR1325
• Support the YWCA of Palestine's work with refugee women through our Fabric of Our Lives Project

There can be No Peace and Justice Until and Unless
The Israeli Occupation of All Palestinian Territories Ends

20^th of August, 2014

"Justice and security are two sides of the same coin. Israel's security can never be an excuse for denying justice to the Palestinian people."

In the spirit of the living God who sanctifies all life and in keeping with our faith and its teachings we appeal to all people across the world to work with their fellow citizens and governments to end Israel's Operation Protective Edge and the brutal military siege that has been going on for the past seven years which includes a naval and economic blockade. Gaza has no port or airport thus no way to import or export its products.

This not a war. This is only vengeance and collective punishment. A responsible authority works to stop useless vengeance and violence. Instead, it fosters general atmosphere of incitement. The irresponsible Israeli Authority, just kills Palestinians and demolishes their houses, in order to please their people. We acknowledge the voice and action of the few Israelis who expressed themselves against this policy of their government.

This is not an escalation or a war. Gaza has no military or ability to protect itself other than to fire some homemade rockets. The 1.7 million people, mostly children (2/3 of the population) are also mostly refugees (1.1 million) from areas of 1948 and 1967. Furthermore under the 4^th Geneva Convention Palestinians, as a militarily occupied people, have the right to defend themselves.

Our justice loving God demands us to speak out on behalf of the security for all people. In the name of the Advocate Spirit, we ask you to speak out now to call a halt to this long term offensive operation which aims to wipe out a lonely, besieged and unarmed people. Whether you think the new unity government is viable or not, or if Hamas is a terrorist organization or not, or whether you think they might have been behind the death of the three Israeli teens murdered near Hebron, (which is not proven so far) it is against international law to collectively punish or target an already besieged 1.7 millon population. It is inhumane. It is a war crime.

As of July 10^th, the date of this Appeal Israeli military struck 430 targets across the Gaza Strip. 77 people have been reported dead and more than 500 wounded.. The majority of the dead are civilians. 18 are children including a baby one month old.

We pray for the memory of those killed. Each of them has a name and a family who is suffering great loss. We also pray for all those wounded or injured in body, mind, or spirit. We pray for solace and comfort also for the families whose homes, businesses, agricultural fields, or fishing boats that have also been destroyed. We pray for the people of Gaza and ask that God be with them.

Support Palestinian’s right to freedom and statehood by joining with Christians throughout the world in their call for a just peace in this land that all call holy. We have been down this road one too many times and know what will happen if we fail to act. Please join us through letters and petitions to your government officials to raise awareness about this offensive military operation and Gaza's ongoing siege. Ask them to pressure Israel to stop its brutal assault or face sanctions from the international community.

Support Palestinian's right to normal life, say with a loud voice: stop killing and demolishing houses. Join with Christians throughout the world in their call for a just peace in this land that all call holy.

Quote from article by Jeremy Corbynn,, "Who Mourns for Palestine.."

NCCOP: National Coalition of Christian Organizations in Palestine.