Dear [Elected Official’s Name],
I am writing to you following the Israeli bombing of the UN-operated al-Jaouni school in central Gaza. This is the fifthtime the school has been bombed since October. The most recent assault has killed at least 18 Palestinians, including UN staff, women and children, whose lives were brutally ended in a place that should have been a sanctuary.
Eyewitnesses and video footage confirm that civilians, many of them children, were “blown to pieces” in the bombing. Six of the victims were UNRWA staff, including the manager of the shelter. UNRWA said the attack marked “the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident”.
Israel has been systematically targeting UNRWA facilities, murdering at least 220 UNRWA staff members since October 7th. All facilities are marked and known to Israeli authorities – clearly demonstrating that these attacks are part of a deliberate campaign to erase the international humanitarian presence in Gaza and the West Bank.
At the time of the attack, over 12,000 displaced Palestinians were sheltering in the school. The blue and white UNRWA logo, meant to protect those taking refuge, has become a target instead. This atrocity is not an isolated incident; Israel has bombed over 160 schools in Gaza. A mother who lost all six of her children in the attack asked, “Are these children terrorists? What crime, what wrong did those innocent children do?”
The relentless targeting of schools, hospitals, and civilian shelters violates international law. It is a war crime, and the continued impunity granted by the silence of the international community has allowed this genocide to unfold before our eyes. As your constituent, I urge you to take immediate and decisive action beyond just words. Israel must be held accountable for its war crimes, and the international community must act to stop this genocide.
We must sanction Israel. A full 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.
This is no longer about politics or diplomacy. It is about basic human decency and the survival of an entire people amidst extermination.
I look forward to your commitment to upholding international law through these actions.
Your constituent,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]