We add our voice to the many citizens and organizations around the world that have watched in horror as hundreds of Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks by air, seas and ground, and have spoken out in the name of peace. The Gaza Ministry of Health estimates that the violence has killed 970 Palestinians as of January 14, and wounded 4,250. Of those numbers, the United Nations estimates that more than 40 percent of the dead and 50 percent of the wounded are women and children. According to the office of the UN Office of the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than a million Gazans still have no electricity or water, and thousands of people have fled their homes to find safe shelter.

This aggression against Gazan civilians by the Israeli military is illegal, immoral and counterproductive. We echo the words of the International Womens Commission: This slaughter can only further fuel the conflict and quash any remaining hope for peace between Israeli and Palestinian people.

We condemn Israels attacks into the very densely populated Gaza strip in particular ongoing the air, ground and sea attacks that began on December 27as grossly excessive.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are trapped in like fish in a barrel as Israeli air strikes continue endlessly. Children are being killed in their schools, parents in their homes. In a civilized world, there is no set of circumstances that could justify these attacks. In a civilized world, there is no set of circumstances that could justify impeding humanitarian relief workers from aiding the wounded for days after an attack. We want to extend our sincere sorrow to all those people who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured.

The most recent violence began in response to the deaths of 3 Israelis killed by Quassam rockets. Even before the attacks, the humanitarian situation in Gaza was dire. This latest round of attacks appears to be an escalation of the violence against the people of Palestine, intensified in the last eighteen months. Holding the people of Gaza hostage because of the actions by Hamas is collective punishment, and a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

The people of Gaza are continuing to suffer one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies in the world. The international community must break its silence and take action to insist Israel end the military attack on Gaza.