1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

The ongoing violence in Gaza has claimed far too many innocent lives, including children burned alive in a despicable attack on a designated "safe zone" for displaced civilians. Harrowing footage shows the human toll, with a man holding the charred remains of a decapitated child amid raging fires. Despite the International Court of Justice's ruling to halt military operations, Israel has escalated its assault, killing 45 more people in Rafah. This blatant defiance of international law is unacceptable. We must act urgently to stop the bloodshed and enforce a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. As a first step, the United States and all nations should immediately halt arms sales and military aid to Israel until it complies with the ICC ruling and ends its indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas. Profiting from this humanitarian catastrophe through weapons deals is unconscionable. Concrete action is needed to show our commitment to human rights and the preservation of innocent lives over corporate profits. The cyclical violence will only intensify without decisive intervention from the global community to disarm the aggressors and protect the defenseless people of Gaza.