1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I write to you today with the utmost urgency regarding the escalating situation in Rafah. Despite warnings from its allies, Israel has initiated a ground invasion into Rafah, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. Mere months ago, Israel issued evacuation orders for millions of people to relocate to Rafah, designating south Gaza as a “safe zone.” Alarmingly, on Monday 6th May, the Israeli military instructed Palestinians to vacate the eastern regions of Rafah in anticipation of a military operation in southern Gaza. This directive followed a night of intense Israeli bombardment on Rafah, resulting in the tragic loss of 22 lives, including eight children. Among the victims was a seven-month-old orphan, born amidst the ongoing siege. With more than 1.5 million individuals seeking refuge in and around Rafah, the pre-war population of 280,000 has been vastly overwhelmed, leaving Gazan civilians with nowhere to seek safety. This, after decimating their homes, their city, and everything they loved. After starving them, maiming them, and murdering their loved ones. After seven months of nonstop terror. After 16 years of walling them in to what human rights organisations refer to as a ‘concentration camp’. After 75 years of military dictatorship, abduction, and torture. After forcefully displacing them and their ancestors from their land during the Nakba in 1948.  Israel persists in its campaign of collective punishment against the Palestinian populace of Gaza, perpetuating another night of relentless bombardment on Rafah.  It is imperative that action be taken in line with the directives issued by the US, UK, Australia, and the European Union, explicitly urging Israel to refrain from entering Rafah.  The reign of Israeli terror MUST come to an end.  I implore you to stand by these directives and take immediate steps to halt ALL arms sales to Israel, sanction the apartheid state, and freeze all overseas assets belonging to the rogue state. Failure to act in the face of this grave humanitarian crisis is not acceptable. As my elected official, you bear a solemn responsibility to halt this genocide and lend your voice to ending this atrocity. The evidence of genocide being committed is irrefutable, as leading Israeli politicians continue to use rhetoric of genocidal intent and the government announces plans that require the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza. I write to you today to ensure that you cannot claim ignorance of these facts. The urgency and severity of these war crimes cannot be overstated, and it is imperative that we act with conviction and clarity in response. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.