Pro-Palestine activists worldwide call for global day of action as Israel’s genocide in Gaza marks 78th day
London (QNN) – In response to the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, major pro-Palestine organizations are organizing a “global day of action” early next year.
The initiative aims to bolster calls for a permanent ceasefire, as Israel’s offensive continues to devastate the besieged region. With the death toll surpassing 20,000, including a significant number of women and children, Israel faces mounting international pressure to halt its assault.
On January 13, 2024, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Stop the War Coalition, and Friends of Al Aqsa, joined by the Muslim Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum in Britain, and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, will spearhead this global day of action. These organizations, known for leading the anti-Iraq war protests in 2003, have united to address the critical situation in Gaza.
“The international community is failing to act by demanding that Israel cease its assault and lift the siege to bring the slaughter to an end and ensure urgent humanitarian aid can be brought to the people of Gaza,” the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, also known as PSC, said in a statement earlier this week.
Several well-known organizations advocating for Palestinian rights, including The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, and Friends of Al Aqsa, have declared intentions for a worldwide day of action on January 13, 2024. pic.twitter.com/zQGd5mHMgX
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 22, 2023
Unprecedented food crisis in Gaza necessitates action
The United Nations reports an unprecedented food crisis in Gaza, prompting urgent calls for humanitarian aid. The pro-Palestine movement, including PSC Director Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham of Stop the War Coalition, emphasizes the need to coordinate global actions for a permanent ceasefire. The campaign encourages the use of hashtags #CeasefireNow, #EndTheSiege, and #FreePalestine on social media to raise awareness and mobilize support.
“We need to ramp up that pressure because reliable opinion polls, tell us in the UK that the majority of people want to see a permanent ceasefire, and the demonstrations that have been of historical and unprecedented size are an important vehicle for that,” PSC director Ben Jamal told Middle East Eye.
Chris Nineham, a founding member of the Stop the War Coalition, told MEE that if a permanent ceasefire wasn’t brokered by 13 January it was necessary for all civil society groups to come out to protest.
“It’s absolutely crucial, not just that the demonstrations continue, but that they are strengthened, deepened and broadened, in order to maximise the pressure, not just on the Israelis, but also on the on the governments around the world to stop colluding in the carnage that the Israelis are meting out,” he said.
UN efforts for a ceasefire
Efforts at the United Nations to pass a Gaza ceasefire resolution have faced delays, with the vote postponed amid reported policy differences within the Biden administration.
The revised resolution now emphasizes the “urgent suspension of hostilities” for safe humanitarian access. However, Israeli officials insist on a temporary pause, tying it to a hostage deal, while Hamas insists on a permeant ceasefire to end the ongoing Israeli genocide before any prisoner exchange deal could be discussed.
Protests in solidarity with Palestinians have taken place worldwide globally drawing attention to the suffering in Gaza. However, UK officials, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, have criticized the movement, accusing protesters of participating in “hate marches.”
Similar sentiments have been echoed in France, where the top court has banned solidarity protests, while politicians in the US continue to express unwavering support for Israel despite its war crimes in Gaza.
