At least 40,878 people are confirmed killed since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza, with another 10,000 buried under rubble and an estimated 180,000 dead from all war-related causes, including starvation and disease.^1,2

And now one more name must be added to the tragic death toll: Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American peace activist who was shot in the head by the Israeli Defense Force in the West Bank on Friday.³

At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens poured into the streets last week, protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate a ceasefire agreement after six Israeli hostages were killed in Gaza.⁴

From the start of the war, the U.S. has acted as Netanyahu’s primary enabler and weapons dealer. To stop the unimaginable suffering in Gaza, the U.S. must use all its leverage over Netanyahu, halt weapon deliveries to Israel, and demand a permanent ceasefire.

Will you make a donation of $10 to support our work, including demanding an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza?

The United Nations independent expert on Israel-Palestine is warning that the total number killed in Gaza by direct and indirect causes related to the war could exceed 335,500 — or 15% to 20% of the entire population — by the end of the year.

“Reading the health experts,” she said, “I am starting to think with horror that if it’s not stopped, Israel’s assault could end up exterminating almost the entire population in Gaza over the next couple of years.”⁵

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warns that the current ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are the “last opportunity” to end the bloodshed and secure the release of Israeli hostages.⁶

Yet Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has continued to demand conditions that have prevented a ceasefire deal over the objections of Israel’s military leaders, adding to growing suspicions within Israel and among the families of hostages that Netanyahu is intentionally extending the war and delaying the release of hostages in order to advance his own political interest.⁷

That’s why the U.S. must use every bit of leverage available to demand that Netanyahu finally agree to a permanent ceasefire and end what the U.N. describes as an “endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale” in Gaza.⁸

Demand Progress has mobilized over 100,000 people to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and now we must turn up the heat.

Will you make an emergency donation of $10 to help support our work, including urging President Biden to use his leverage to demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza?

With gratitude,

The team at Demand Progress Action

Sources:
1. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (4 September 2024),” September 4, 2024.
2. The Guardian, “Scientists are closing in on the true, horrifying scale of death and disease in Gaza,” September 5, 2024.
3. The Washington Post, “U.S. woman fatally shot at West Bank protest; witnesses say IDF shot her,” September 6, 2024.
4. CNN, “Netanyahu defiant as protesters demanding a ceasefire-for-hostages deal bring Israel to a halt,” September 2, 2024.
5. Common Dreams, “UN Expert Fears ‘Almost the Entire Population’ of Gaza Exterminated If Israel Not Stopped,” September 6, 2024.
6. NBC News, “Israel accepts U.S. proposal to bridge Gaza impasse, Blinken says as he urges Hamas to do the same,” August 19, 2024.
7. CBC, “Dealbreaker? Hostages ‘sacrificed’ on the altar of Netanyahu’s plan for Gaza, say critics,” September 5, 2024.
8. United Nations, “‘Endless nightmare’ of death and destruction in Gaza, UN officials tell Security 6ouncil,” July 26, 2024.

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