CMEP condemns Israeli plan to occupy Gaza City

US-based Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has strongly condemned reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is advancing plans for a full military takeover of Gaza City.

The coalition states: 'Such an operation would deepen an already unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, devastate what remains of civilian life in northern Gaza, and place the remaining hostages in grave danger.

'North Gaza and Gaza City have borne the brunt of the man-made humanitarian crisis that has engulfed the Strip. With food, water, and medical supplies deliberately restricted, large swaths of the population are already facing famine conditions. Starvation is being used as a weapon of war, a violation of fundamental moral principles and international humanitarian law.

'International law is unequivocal: the occupation of Gaza would be illegal. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, the occupying power bears an obligation to protect civilians, ensure access to food and medical care, and refrain from collective punishment. Nothing in Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposed course of action indicates such obligations would be met. On the contrary, every indication is that it would prolong displacement, hunger, and death on a massive scale.

'Earlier this month, roughly 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former intelligence chiefs, urged U.S. President Donald Trump to press Israel to end the war in Gaza, stating that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat and calling for action to "end the war, return the hostages, stop the suffering." Their warning comes as reports indicate Prime Minister Netanyahu seeks to expand military operations amid stalled ceasefire talks, and as major Jewish and civil-rights groups caution that seizing and governing Gaza City would endanger hostages, worsen civilian suffering, and fuel further radicalization and instability.

'A military occupation of Gaza City will not bring security. It will further traumatize a population that has endured relentless bombardment and deprivation, exacerbate instability, and heighten the risk to the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Military escalation is not a substitute for diplomacy; it is a choice to prolong suffering.

'CMEP calls on the United States, the United Nations, and all governments with influence over Israel to unequivocally reject this plan, to prioritize an immediate and sustained ceasefire, and to demand unfettered humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza. We urge all parties to act with urgency to save lives, release hostages, and begin the hard but essential work toward a just and lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.'

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.