We condemn Hamas’s terror and unequivocally affirm that every nation has the right to defend its citizens from violence. But defending one’s security cannot and should not come at the cost of collective punishment, starvation, or the torture of innocents.
Over the past months and years, millions of Palestinian civilians in Gaza have endured conditions that verge on the unconscionable:
- Hospitals in Gaza City are closing or being evacuated under fire, as medical staff struggle to care for the sick and injured amid collapsing infrastructure.
- Food, medicine, water, and fuel have been severely restricted by an ongoing blockade that many aid organizations and nations consider a form of collective punishment.
- Aid distribution itself has become deadly: since late May 2025, more than 2,500 Palestinians seeking food and other necessities have been killed or wounded at aid sites or convoys.
- In Gaza’s refugee camps, even “safe zones” have been struck. In June 2024, a bombing at the Al‑Mawasi camp—one designated for displaced civilians—killed more than two dozen people.
- Reports have emerged of sexual exploitation tied to aid, with women pressured into exchanges for basic necessities like food or employment.
These are not the inevitable byproducts of war. They are failures—failures in leadership, in the obligations of war, and in the duty of every actor to minimize harm to civilians. While Israel must confront Hamas, the way the Netanyahu government has managed the humanitarian responsibilities of war has been deeply troubling—and deserving of criticism.
There is no easy path forward in Gaza. But we refuse to accept that famine, forced displacement, or the deaths of innocents are collateral that must be endured.
At Our Neighborhood, we believe in holding normative standards—even in war. Compassion does not contradict strength; accountability does not weaken purpose. We stand with civilians in Gaza who suffer under policies that defy humanity, and we urge leaders everywhere to remember: humanity must always be part of any security strategy.
