Ceasefire ‘is a vital precondition to ensure the people of Gaza receive any kind of sustained, effective and impactful humanitarian aid’ - Agnès Callamard

As heads of state prepare to gather for an international humanitarian conference in France tomorrow (9 November) to discuss the perilous situation for the civilian population in Gaza, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“We welcome President Macron’s decision to host an international humanitarian conference for the people of Gaza, and strongly encourage states to do their part too. 

“We call on states to push for an immediate ceasefire by all parties - as this is a vital precondition to ensure the people of Gaza receive any kind of sustained, effective and impactful humanitarian aid.

“For this ceasefire to be effective, states must ensure it covers the entire Gaza Strip and that it’s long enough to allow a substantive alleviation of suffering. 

“The wounded have to be properly taken care of and hospitals and clinics must be repaired, relief has to be distributed safely and unconditionally, and the dead must be recovered and buried.

“Right now, people’s most basic needs are not being met. If action isn’t taken immediately, the situation will become unimaginably worse. 

“More than two million people in the Gaza Strip are struggling to survive amidst Israel’s relentless attacks that have caused an unprecedented number of civilian casualties and destruction and exacerbated this humanitarian crisis to catastrophic levels. 

“As the people of Gaza continue to endure a devastating military operation on top of the intensification of an illegal 16-year-long blockade - depriving them of the everyday items they need to survive - we call on states to live up to their joint and individual responsibility to cooperate in providing humanitarian assistance in times of emergency. They cannot sit by and witness this suffering any longer. 

“Going forward, Amnesty International is calling on those attending the conference to commit to the long-term recovery of Gaza, ensure people are able to eventually return to their homes, and to put an enduring, human rights-centred political solution to the crisis on the agenda.”

Amnesty’s full list of requests relating to the Paris conference is available here. 

On 26 October, Amnesty issued an urgent call for an immediate ceasefire by all parties in the occupied Gaza Strip and Israel to prevent further loss of civilian lives, and to ensure access to life-saving aid for people in Gaza amidst the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.