Office of Public Witness urges Presbyterians to contact their elected officials over ending the violence in Gaza and the West Bank

The suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continues at an unconscionable scale. As tensions rise across the wider region and the United States increases its military posture toward Iran, the risk of further escalation threatens to bring even greater devastation to human lives. At such a time, our nation must act not to deepen violence, but to help end it.

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Despite the October 2025 ceasefire, Palestinians in Gaza continue to be killed, displaced, and denied the basic necessities of life. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, adding to the more than 71,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023. Families struggle without reliable access to food, clean water, medical care, or shelter. Journalists have also paid a devastating price. More journalists have been killed in Gaza during this period than in any other recent conflict, while Israel continues to deny international media access. The absence of independent reporting further obscures the human reality and undermines accountability.

Children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening conditions are still being denied permission to travel for urgently needed treatment, including at Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, a ministry of the Lutheran Church that has long served the Palestinian people. Church leaders in Jerusalem have called for these children to be allowed access to life-saving care.

In the West Bank, Palestinian communities face ongoing displacement, expanding settlement activity, and persistent settler violence. Bedouin and other families are being forced from lands they have inhabited for generations. These actions undermine the possibility of peace and threaten the future of entire communities. They also contradict the fundamental truth affirmed by our faith: that every person is created in the image of God and deserving of dignity, safety, and freedom.

Go here to urge Congress to help end violence in Gaza and the West Bank and protect lives.

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The United States provides Israel with substantial military assistance, including the recent approval of $6.67 billion in new weapons sales. With that support comes moral responsibility. Our nation must not enable policies and actions that contribute to further suffering. Instead, the United States should use its influence to uphold human rights, ensure accountability, and help create the conditions for a just and lasting peace.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long stood in partnership with churches and communities in the Holy Land. Through General Assembly actions and decades of shared ministry, we have affirmed our commitment to a just peace grounded in international law, human rights and the equal dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Our partners are calling on us to speak with urgency and moral clarity. We must not remain silent in the face of ongoing suffering.

The Office of Public Witness urges Presbyterians to contact their senators and representatives today and urge them to:

• Restrict further U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. Support and pass the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) in the House. Oppose additional weapons transfers and support congressional action to prevent such transfers in the Senate.
• Support accountability for settler violence and forced displacement. Support legislation which authorizes sanctions and other measures against those responsible for violence against Palestinian civilians and the unlawful seizure of Palestinian land.
• Protect access to life-saving medical care. Urge Israeli authorities to allow Palestinians in Gaza, especially children, to travel with their families to receive urgently needed medical treatment, including in Jerusalem, with guarantees of safe return.

At this critical moment, Congress must act to help end violence, protect civilian life, and uphold the principles of justice, human dignity, and peace.