Dear [Elected Official’s Name],
I am writing to you regarding the devastating airstrike carried out by Israeli forces in the early hours of Tuesday, 10th September 2024, which targeted a displacement camp in the al-Mawasi area of Gaza. This brutal attack has left at least 40 people dead, more than 60 injured, and countless others missing, buried beneath the sand.
The strike targeted a ‘safe camp,’ where displaced families sought refuge, destroying 20 tents and leaving a crater 9 metres deep. Entire families were wiped out, and civil defence teams are digging with their bare hands to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble. As the death toll rises, fears grow for the critically injured due to Israel’s continued blockade of medical supplies and humanitarian aid.
Half of Gaza’s population now resides in the al-Mawasi area, believing it to be a designated safe zone. The bombing occurred after midnight while families were asleep. Israel’s justification that this was a strike on a ‘command centre’ echoes its past unsubstantiated claims when bombing hospitals, schools, homes, and ambulances.
This attack on a ‘safe zone’—one that Israel itself instructed Palestinians to move to—is not an act of self-defence. It is a calculated and deliberate assault on innocent civilians. Israel’s blockade, which prevents essential medical aid from entering Gaza, ensures that even survivors face imminent death from lack of care.
Attacks on refugee tent camps and safe zones have become commonplace in Israel’s assault on Gaza due to international inaction, with over 44,000 civilians killed in 11 months. These attacks must end and action must be taken.
Words of condemnation achieve nothing, we must sanction Israel. An arms embargo and a two-way trade embargo must be enforced until Israel ceases its illegal occupation, blockade and other human rights violations; this will also add pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza. Recognising the State of Palestine and supporting the prosecution of all perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity is essential.
I look forward to your commitment to upholding international law through these actions.
Your constituent,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]