ELCA Action Alert: Invasion of Gaza City Unacceptable, Ceasefire and Humanitarian Aid Overdue

Action AlertELCA AdvocacyHuman RightsEcumenical and Inter-Religious Relations
Written By Solveig Muus

Invasion of Gaza City Unacceptable, Ceasefire and Humanitarian Aid Overdue

This week, Israel expanded their military campaign in Gaza to begin their full-scale invasion of Gaza City. While a ceasefire might come to fruition, the implications of any version of a military invasion of Gaza City spells thousands of civilian deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, and further starvation of the entire population. Take action today!

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, issued a letter to President Donald Trump and members of Congress on Aug. 14 emphasizing impact of decisions on the "catastrophe in Gaza and the wider crisis in the Holy Land." She wrote: 


“As of this writing, the Israeli security cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City. This includes expanding military operations in the Gaza Strip and forcibly expelling some 700,000 Palestinians currently surviving in the ruins of the city. It would additionally cut off 300,000 Palestinians in North Gaza from any aid access at all. This would mean putting in harm’s way almost half of Gaza’s population, many of whom are too malnourished, sick, or exhausted to flee the area. Such a forced displacement would undoubtedly lead to the deaths of many Palestinian men, women and children. Among these survivors are 600 of our Christian siblings and the staff at one of the few hospitals still functioning there: the Al-Ahli Hospital, run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. For the love of God, the sake of our shared humanity and the future of our Palestinian siblings of all faiths, your swift action may be the best and perhaps only way to stop the Israeli government from continuing its war and genocide in Gaza, and to plant seeds of peace and well-being for all in the Holy Land.” 

It is important our elected government officials hear this message from their constituents as well. We can use our national presence to make a difference and step into our call as peacemakers. 

A social policy resolution adopted by the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, "Toward Ending the Occupation of Palestine," affirms our shared calling to pray, lament and act for justice in Palestine and Israel. Stemming from this resolution, Bishop Eaton’s letter states: “The ELCA joins the growing condemnation of the continuing catastrophe of violence, starvation and forced displacement in Gaza, which many international voices are now calling genocide.” With your help, we can do our part to express the moral urgency of our deep commitment to justice, peace, and the sanctity of every human life, and act for justice. 

Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza is only causing mass destruction, killing, and irreversible trauma on Gaza’s population. It is diminishing the chance of retrieving the Israeli hostages stuck inside the Gaza strip and straining all efforts to work toward justice and peace in the region. A lasting ceasefire with full, unimpeded access to humanitarian aid in Gaza is the only way to move forward.

Customize your message. Let them know how you, as a person of faith and compassion, feel about the ongoing strife in Gaza and in Israel, and the devastating effects on the helpless citizens involved.

Solveig Muus
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