In October, we condemned the brutal attack against innocent civilians in Israel. We also called on all parties to adhere to the rule of international law and respect the value of civilian life in any subsequent actions.
We are heartbroken that innumerable pleas to do so, including ours, have gone unheeded since we made our initial statement. While the continued holding of civilian hostages remains deplorable, we also condemn the horrifying number of civilian deaths and massive scale of destruction and starvation in Gaza as abhorrent and unconscionable.
Through our more than five decades of advancing the civil and human rights of LGBTQ+ people in the United States, Lambda Legal has aimed to champion justice, to give voice to urgent suffering, and to make more broadly visible our shared humanity. In keeping with the values that guide our organization, we stand with our community members who are Palestinian, and who are Israeli, and with everyone who is suffering and grieving due to these ongoing atrocities.
The continuing violence in the region is horrendous and devastating. We once again call on all parties to respect and protect innocent lives. And we now call on our United States government to use all appropriate means to persuade the Israeli government to protect Palestinian civilians and to facilitate immediate, large-scale relief efforts.
