A deal for a temporary halt to Israel’s genocidal bombardment of Gaza has been announced. IJV welcomes this news with hope, grief, and worry for the days to come. As we watch celebrations of the ceasefire in Gaza, we are grateful for the relief this will bring to Palestinians who have been suffering under Israel’s 15 month-long campaign of genocidal violence. We fiercely hope that this ceasefire and hostage and political prisoner exchange will mark the first step towards ending this devastating genocide, and dismantling Israeli occupation and apartheid for good.
In this moment, we remember and grieve the tens of thousands of lives that have been cut short during the 467 days of Israel’s genocide. Every single life taken was a whole universe destroyed. The amount of suffering, destruction and pain that Palestinians in Gaza have endured is unfathomable.
We remain wary of continued Israeli violence both in Gaza and the West Bank. We have previously seen Israeli forces increase their bombardment of civilian areas in the days and hours before the beginning of a ceasefire agreement. We must ensure that this kind of rampant violence by the Israeli military does not continue unchecked, and that no more lives are destroyed.
This ceasefire agreement does not put the genocide that has occurred for the past 15 months behind us, nor does it absolve us from our responsibility to ensure that those who have perpetrated the most hideous of crimes against humanity are brought to justice. Canada must immediately enact a full arms embargo, and ensure that Israel is held accountable for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Canada must also take action to finally end Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime as mandated by the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly.
This ceasefire agreement also would not be possible without the continued steadfastness of the people of Gaza, or of their supporters across the globe. In the past 15 months people all over the world have taken to the streets to demand an end to this genocide. Here in Canada, Palestinians, Jews, and so many others have come together to call for an end to our government’s complicity through action, protest, and community. Though we celebrate the news of a ceasefire, we know that now is not the time to become complacent. We must continue to pressure Israel and our own government to commit to true and lasting justice and peace for the Palestinian people.
The processes that brought about Israel’s genocide in Gaza existed well before October 7, 2023, and will remain after the implementation of this ceasefire agreement. For history to truly change course, we must do everything in our collective power to make sure that Israeli settler-colonialism and apartheid is fully dismantled and that the era of Israeli impunity is put to an end. The perpetrators of this genocide must be held accountable, and Palestine must be free.