This is hard news to hear but the harder news weighs on survivors in present-day Gaza. The war on Gaza has been ongoing since October 2023. It is clear that over 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas and over 200 more taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. However, since then, the war on Gaza has continued for the past 15 months with little or no access to basic needs for surviving Palestinians. Over 45,500 men, women, and children have been killed, and calls for a ceasefire have fell on deaf ears.

The United States is culpable because U.S. weapons supplied to Israeli Defense Forces account for three-quarters of the weapons that are being used to carry out the assault on Gaza. U.S. taxpayer money is being used to supply these weapons. Over 90% of surviving Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. As a result of the Gaza war campaign, Gaza is home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history. Please contact your U.S. representatives (Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander) and senators (Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen) to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Also, ask your representatives and senators to stop the flow of weapons to Israel to bring a halt to what is a present-day genocide.

Bob Moore

East Kingston