Palestine Solidarity
La Via Campesina Calls for a Permanent Ceasefire, Peace and Justice in Gaza
La Via Campesina, the international peasant movement, welcomes the recent announcement of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas over Gaza. This long overdue ceasefire deal will bring much needed relief and respite for millions of Palestinian people who have been enduring a genocidal war by Israeli occupation forces for over 467 days. This 42-day ceasefire deal does not end the tragedy that Palestinians suffered nor does it erase the devastation experienced since October 2023.
We call for a permanent ceasefire, peace and justice. This should include the West Bank which has seen a sharp increase in escalation of attacks and land grabbing by the Israel settlers,” La Via Campesina.
A ceasefire alone is not justice. True justice entails complete liberation of Palestinians and the territories from Israeli occupation, dismantling settlements and returning stolen land to their rightful owners, and restoring full sovereignty and establishing self-determination to Palestinians to build their future. Justice means that Palestinians can live in dignity in Palestine, free from bombings, displacement, siege and that the perpetrators of war crimes be brought to justice.
For 15 months, people in Gaza have stood against a relentless war machine which killed and injured hundreds of thousands people, including over 10,000 children. The Israeli apartheid state did not stop at massacring the people of Gaza but also deliberately destroyed everything that represents and sustains life in the Gaza strip. More than two million Palestinians are suffering from hunger due to the occupation’s use of starvation tactics. Critical social and physical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, water systems, electricity networks, and energy sources have been erased to the ground in an attempt to make Palestinian life impossible and expel the people from the land. Agricultural and fishery sector too was not spared.
Despite this unprecedented scale of devastation, Palestinians have once again proven that the will to live is stronger than any war machine. The resilience of the Palestinian people is a profound expression of the belief in justice and the unwavering commitment to life, dignity, and freedom.
We call for continued solidarity with Palestinian people until a lasting and permanent ceasefire is achieved and peace prevails as an ongoing moral and humanitarian obligation. The perpetrators of war crimes and genocide must be held accountable for the heinous crimes and unprecedented use of starvation as a weapon of war against civilians in Gaza. A comprehensive arms embargo must be imposed to stop the flow of weapons. And the rebuilding Palestine must be supported according to a Palestinian vision, not dictated by the occupation. We call on the governments around the world to support the rebuilding efforts and for the UN agencies in particular FAO and IFAD to support the reconstruction of agricultural and fishing sectors in Gaza
We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine as they begin the work rebuild and rehabilitate the land. La Via Campesina stands united, continuing to fight for lasting freedom and respect for Palestine and its people.
Free Palestine! Long live Palestine, and long live Palestinian farmers!
Globalise the Struggle, Globalise Hope
In solidarity, La Via Campesina
