The idea and reasons for establishing
The International Campaign to Save Gaza is mobilizing in response to the urgent distress calls from the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, who find themselves in the throes of an unrelenting genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation. The toll of this war has been devastating, with nearly 12,000 martyrs, including 5,000 children and over 2,000 women. Moreover, more than a quarter-million residential units have been destroyed, displacing over a million residents in northern Gaza. Critical life infrastructure for the people of the region has been obliterated. Compounding the tragedy is the unwavering support for the occupying state from numerous Western countries, coupled with a steadfast refusal to entertain the notion of a ceasefire.
In the wake of the glaring collective paralysis on the Arab, Islamic, and international fronts, where both individual and collective efforts have failed to implement tangible measures to halt the Israeli onslaught on Gaza and its people, it has become painfully evident that they are also incapable of delivering the necessary humanitarian aid to sustain the lives of our people.
Due to all of this, and in recognition of our ethical, historical, human, national, and Islamic obligations, the International Campaign to Save Gaza has been launched by a number of grassroots organizations, civil institutions, solidarity movements, and influential figures from around the world. The campaign is focused on organizing advocacy, relief, and rescue efforts using all available peaceful and legal means, with a focus on dispatching relief aid ships and medical assistance as soon as possible.
The campaign also seeks to collaborate and coordinate with all people who wish to contribute to this urgent humanitarian effort, whether in Arab and Islamic countries or elsewhere around the world. It will work closely with grassroots and official entities eager to support Gaza and rescue its residents, including charitable and relief organizations and specialized agencies working to break the siege on Gaza worldwide.
Entities and personalities taking the initiative to establish the campaign
The campaign has been launched and established by several Arab and international entities and notable figures from the following organizations and countries.
- Egypt
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Algeria
- Libya
- Morocco
- Kuwait
- Qatar
- Yemen
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Pakistan
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
Continued efforts will be made to engage a broader range of grassroots institutions advocating for Palestinian rights worldwide. The objective is to rally support for the Palestinian people and bolster their resilience in their homeland.
Funding
The campaign relies on grassroots support and funding, collected through fundraising campaigns organized by participating institutions. These campaigns will provide the necessary financial backing for the various projects of the campaign, particularly the operation of support and relief ships to break the blockade. Furthermore, individual contributions from campaign members will play a pivotal role in funding the administrative facets of the campaign and its projects.
Mission
To play a pivotal role in rescuing the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, ensuring the provision of the essentials for life and resilience, and actively striving to break the unlawful blockade imposed upon them.
Vision
Forge a coalition of Arab and international institutions and prominent figures to rescue the Palestinian people in Gaza and enhance the efforts to break the blockade on the region.
Goals and Operational Mechanisms
Providing and delivering essential life necessities to the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Employing all available means, including actively engaging with international and regional entities to guarantee the unhindered transport of crucial relief materials.
Emphasizing that breaking the siege on Gaza is a pressing obligation, we call upon every individual of the Islamic nation and all conscientious individuals worldwide to actively participate in this humanitarian cause.
Working to bring together institutions and individuals dedicated to breaking the siege under a single, cohesive umbrella, thereby consolidating our collective efforts.
Exerting pressure on governments in the region, urging them to facilitate the dispatch of support and relief ships towards Gaza and contribute to the collective effort of breaking the blockade.
Gathering aid, funds, and human resources necessary to equip the ships.
Policies and
Guiding Values
- Our work is humanitarian and grassroots; it is not tied to any country or political party.
- We are committed to peaceful, nonviolent efforts in all of our initiatives.
- We reject discrimination in all its forms. We support equality between
all human beings. - We support the BDS movement against the occupation state.
- We emphasize the humanitarian perspective in all of our projects.
- We adhere to thoughtful and balanced political and campaign discourse.
- We are committed to mutual respect between all parties in our campaign.
- We abide by the governing laws in every avenue of our campaign work.
Anticipated Impact
The campaign aims to make a meaningful difference by providing the critical essentials needed to save the Palestinian people in Gaza. Our goal is to alleviate their suffering, support their resilience in their homeland, and elevate their morale in facing the occupation.
Our Program
Our program involves the strategic deployment of at least three ships originating from different cities around the world to the waters of Gaza to ensure the timely delivery of urgent humanitarian aid that is crucial for the well-being of the region and to break the illegal siege on Gaza and her people.
The International Campaign to Save Gaza
The Founding Statement
Due to the ongoing genocidal war orchestrated by the Israeli occupation against the people in the Gaza Strip, the casualty count has tragically risen to around 14,000 martyrs, including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women.
Furthermore, the destruction of over a quarter of a million residential units has uprooted more than a million residents in northern Gaza. The relentless devastation of crucial life infrastructure for the local population persists, exacerbated by unwavering support for the occupying state from numerous Western countries and the continued rejection of the proposition of a ceasefire.
In response to urgent pleas from the people of Gaza, civil society institutions, and official Palestinian authorities, and acknowledging our historical, legal, humanitarian, national, and Islamic responsibilities, we, as a coalition of international grassroots organizations and civil institutions worldwide, declare the commencement of the International Campaign to Save Gaza. The campaign aims to mobilize advocacy, relief, and rescue efforts through all available peaceful and legal means. At the forefront of these initiatives is the prompt dispatch of relief ships and medical aid, in coordination with international entities experienced in overseeing relief convoys and humanitarian assistance in compliance with international laws and regulations governing aid delivery during times of conflict.”
The campaign will collaborate and coordinate with all people who wish to contribute to this urgent humanitarian effort, whether in Arab and Islamic countries or elsewhere around the world. It will work closely with grassroots and official entities eager to support Gaza and rescue its residents, including charitable and relief organizations and specialized agencies working to break the siege on Gaza worldwide.
The campaign underscores that its primary objective is the rescue, relief, and delivery of aid to the people in the Gaza Strip. Consequently, the campaign has announced its commencement of the process to purchase a number of cargo ships for transporting relief aid to Gaza. The idea of acquiring small passenger ships is also under consideration. The campaign will promptly initiate the procurement process for the necessary aid, following established procedures to assess the required assistance and determine the most effective means to provide it. Subsequently, the aid will be shipped to the people of Gaza as quickly as possible.
The campaign also affirms that it will simultaneously strive to exert pressure to break the oppressive and unlawful blockade on our people in Gaza, as well as advocating for the opening of crossings and facilitating freedom of movement for Palestinians to and from their homeland.
Furthermore, the campaign announces its commitment to collaborate with relevant official bodies and international and regional organizations to ensure the arrival of aid ships in accordance with procedures and laws governing the entry of humanitarian and relief assistance into the Gaza Strip. This commitment aligns with resolutions issued by the United Nations Security Council on this matter. Notably, Security Council Resolution No. 1860 of 2009 urges the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, emphasizing unimpeded delivery to the population. Additionally, Security Council Resolution 2712 of 2023 calls for immediate access for humanitarian aid, facilitating the delivery of essential goods and services to civilians, especially children, throughout the Gaza Strip.
The campaign also declares that it will spare no effort to ensure that the aid ships set sail towards Gaza before the end of December this year.
In conclusion, the campaign welcomes the temporary ceasefire brokered under Egyptian and Qatari auspices, with the hope that it will facilitate the entry of all accumulated humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing and put an end to the obstructive policies practiced by the occupying state. The campaign strongly urges the international community to exert pressure on the occupying state to completely cease aggression on the Gaza Strip and hold its leaders accountable for war crimes. The world is called upon to take tangible steps to address the root cause of the conflict, addressing the underlying issue in the region—the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Preparatory Committee for the International Campaign to Save Gaza
Istanbul, 23-11-2023″
