Palestinians walk among the rubble caused by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Photo: Wafa / APAImages (CC-BY-SA)
Statement calls on all parties and international community to focus on immediate ceasefire and find pathways to peace
(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has made an urgent appeal for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Hamas enters its 11th month. Faced with a constant rise in tensions in the region, the statement warns that "there is everything to lose through an escalation of the conflict.
In the appeal, issued on 13 August, the LWF says that ceasefire talks are “threatened by the constant rise in tensions in the region” and the possibility for new parties to the conflict “to enter open warfare.”
The statement notes that “almost the entire population in Gaza has been displaced multiple times, aggression between Israel and Hezbollah is increasing and settler violence in the West Bank is becoming a daily event.”
The LWF urges all parties and the international community “to focus on an immediate ceasefire and finding pathways to peace.” It calls on the parties in conflict “to uphold International Humanitarian Law, facilitate humanitarian access and recognize the humanity of all the populations of the Middle East.”
