Press Release

Solidarity Caravan - Rafah: Gaza beyond the border
From 3 to 6 March, a delegation of humanitarian workers, 16 parliamentarians, journalists, academics and experts in international law will travel to Egypt to reach the Rafah crossing point. This is an initiative promoted by the Association of Italian Organisations for International Cooperation and Solidarity (AOI Network), as part of the #EmergenzaGaza campaign, in collaboration with Amnesty International Italy, ARCI and Assopace Palestine.

Rome, 6 February 2024 - The delegation 's call is for an immediate ceasefire, for the resumption of international diplomatic action under the direction of the United Nations. The delegation vigorously supports the call by humanitarian organisations and the International Court of Justice for aid and humanitarian work to be allowed in. The aim of the Italian delegation is to demonstrate its closeness to the people of Gaza under siege and to show that something concrete can be done.

The Israeli military assault is causing such destruction, danger, terror and suffering that it is impossible for the international humanitarian system to organise a safe response to save lives.

The promoters call on the Italian government to act so that the ceasefire is permanent and the ongoing massacre stops, suspending its uncritical support for the Israeli government's policy, which makes it complicit in the ongoing tragedy. The government and parliament must do everything in their power to prevent further military offensives and create an environment conducive to negotiations and dialogue: in this framework, the issue of releasing the Israeli hostages must also be addressed. Civilians, those who always pay the highest price in conflicts, must be guaranteed protection from threats and violations of international humanitarian law.

Today, more than ever, it is necessary for the international community to condemn the Israeli occupation in Palestine, to oppose Israel's impunity in the face of continued violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. These are essential steps to create a sustainable and concrete path towards peace negotiations that are conducted within the framework of international legality.

The delegation will meet in Cairo with civil society organisations, human rights defenders, UN agencies, as well as the Italian diplomatic representations on site. It will then travel to Al Arish to follow the route of the containers of humanitarian aid made possible thanks to the #EmergenzaGaza fundraising campaign. Finally, he will reach the Rafah crossing to meet the humanitarian organisations that are working to try to send essential aid into the Strip, facing unimaginable difficulties. Among them are UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugee relief, which has been the target of a very serious attack in recent weeks, collectively affecting nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, but also the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent, and the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Statements

Alfio Nicotra, AOI - Un Ponte Per: "We are leaving for Rafah because we cannot sit idly by while this massacre of children is taking place and everything is being taken away from them: life, play, education, health, the right to a future. Our #ErmergenzaGaza campaign has collected hundreds of small individual and collective donations, a sign that Italian civil society feels involved in the tragedy of the Palestinian people. We are also leaving to be close to our colleagues in the NGOs, to the humanitarian and health workers and to the journalists who are murdered and targeted by snipers and bombing every day. The Italian and EU governments must demand and act for a ceasefire.The plan to expel more than two million Palestinians from their land must be prevented."

Tina Marinari, Amnesty International Italy: "A month after the International Court of Justice ordered the six precautionary measures, the situation in the Gaza Strip has only worsened. The population is reduced to starvation and access to humanitarian aid continues to be blocked by Israel. As an occupying power, Israel has a clear obligation under international law to guarantee the basic needs of the population in Gaza. The Israeli blockade is a form of collective punishment and a war crime. We need to open our eyes and show the world all the crimes that are being committed in the face of international inaction.We need an immediate and permanent ceasefire to be unilaterally guaranteed as soon as possible."

Raffaella Bolini, Arci: 'We believe it is necessary that a signal reaches the people of Gaza that there is another Italy, another Europe, another West, that believes in international law, that believes in the politics of justice, that fights for a political solution based on international legality. To give a handhold of hope to those who suffer and survive and die wondering why no one does anything in the face of genocide. Ignorance in the face of oppression produces immense damage, for which everyone pays the price. The international community has not lifted a finger in the face of the betrayal of the peace process, the advance of occupation, settlements, and apartheid over the past thirty years. Those who today look with fear at the processes of radicalisation, in Israel and Palestine, must know that they are children of that sloth. For when the politics of justice are not there, only brute force remains.Politics must be put back into the field."

Luisa Morgantini, Assopace Palestina: "We will not reach the hell of Gaza, we would love to do so, but entry is barred not only to us, but also to UN speakers, journalists, and humanitarian aid that is allowed in in drops. We are witnessing a genocide and the cruelty of the Israeli government's choice to starve and destroy Gaza, as stated by ministers, not only messianic fundamentalists, but also by a secular President who says 'not there is an innocent in Gaza. The Gazawis must be wiped out, putting in their place settlers who will then be able to see the sea'. But the Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, where every day the occupation kills and robs land, in Israel, in the refugee camps of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, and in the diaspora around the world, will know that they are not alone, they will know that there are millions of people in the world who are with them and not with the policies similar to those of our government that is complicit in the war crimes that are committed every single moment by the Israeli government. We will go all the way to Rafah on the Egyptian side with humanitarian aid, but above all to reaffirm our commitment that after 75 years of continuous Nakba and 56 years of military occupation, apartheid and colonisation, the Palestinian people have by far the right to self-determination and freedom.Not having practised it marks the failure of the International Community, primarily the European Union, which should be founded on justice and respect for the human and social rights of all.