ILRS statement regarding the war between Israel and Hamas
The International League of Religious Socialists, regarding the new escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, starting on October 7th, 2023,
- Shows solidarity with all the victims and their families. The right to life and dignity of
people is the most absolute value, regardless of their nation, condition, belief or political
idea. - Demands the immediate cessation of the war and the invasion of Gaza by strongly
condemning violence as a form of conflict resolution. - Condemns the terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas against the population of Israel,
which triggered this escalation, and demands the release of all kidnapped persons. - Rejects the use by the State of Israel of self-defense without restraint or respect for
humanitarian rules, indiscriminately killing the civilian population, subjecting them to
subhuman conditions and destroying homes and social, health and educational facilities. - Urges the parties to respect international law and UN resolutions, expressing support
for the position of Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and for a more effective United
Nations. - Urges the governments of the region and the European Union to put all their political
strength into stopping the war and channeling the conflict through dialogue. There will
be no peace without a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel and mutual respect for
territorial integrity. There must be an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West
Bank. - Urges religious actors to act in favor of peace. No God wants war. There is no just war.
Israel, and uniquely Jerusalem, must be a symbol for humanity of interreligious
coexistence. - Rejects in the name of God all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and invokes
tolerance, dialogue and reconciliation. - Claims freedom of opinion, display of symbols and demonstration made in democratic,
peaceful and non-violent terms.