1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

Since Israel broke the so-called ceasefire on March 18, Israel has slaughtered 506 Palestinians, including 200 children. Calculated overnight airstrikes in Gaza have maximised destruction, chaos, and death—ensuring civilians are caught unaware and unable to escape. Families are buried beneath the rubble of their homes and temporary shelters, their bodies difficult to recover under torchlight. Entire bloodlines – generations of families have been wiped out. Israel has also once again reoccupied the Netzarim Corridor and cut off the main route between northern and southern Gaza- trapping hundreds of thousands of starving Palestinians in the north. This is yet another blatant violation of the so-called ceasefire—one that Israel had already broken 962 times before March 18. For comparison, Hamas had broken the ceasefire twice. For nearly 20 days no food, no clean water, and no medical supplies have entered due to Israel’s illegal blockade. These actions affirm why Netanyahu is a wanted war criminal by the International Criminal Court, and why United Nations reports and legal experts have described Israel’s actions as genocide and apartheid. This is not a conflict—it is the deliberate, systematic destruction and extermination of an entire people.  Normalisation with Israel must end and the protection of the Palestinian people is paramount. Sanctions against other states have proven effective in halting egregious human rights abuses; they must be applied here. A two-way trade and arms embargo and an end to diplomatic relations with the apartheid state is essential. We must recognise a Palestinian state immediately to commit to a lasting peace and an end to the illegal occupation. This is a call for international law to be upheld and basic human rights for all to be protected.