Quakers welcome ‘crack of light’ in Israel-Hamas agreement
Friends welcome the Israel-Hamas ceasefire
Quakers have welcomed the ‘crack of light’ in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) welcomed the commitments to: release hostages and political prisoners; allow the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians; and to accelerate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. It prayed that ‘all parties would commit to the agreement’s full implementation as quickly as possible’, BYM said.
BYM joined other UK organisations working on the ground in Israel and Palestine in calling on the UK government to ensure the pause becomes a permanent ceasefire. Meanwhile the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR) (England and Scotland) also cautiously welcomed the agreement. John Cooper, director of FoR, said: ‘We are cautious yet hopeful about the ceasefire agreement and any steps away from violence and towards a lasting peace. The initial six-week pause and promise of a pathway to lasting peace show the potential for an end to the seemingly permanent cycles of violence and bloodshed in the region.
‘During the last fifteen months of conflict, we have seen many dark and difficult moments. Millions of Palestinians have been traumatised and displaced and over forty thousand have been killed. The economic and environmental cost of rebuilding Gaza will be immense. The long-term trauma that Israeli hostages and their families experienced will forever live with them. It is time to say enough is truly enough.
‘We need to keep praying and calling for peace. It is through global pressure and difficult conversations that a true pathway to peace is made possible. And that pathway is signposted by justice and recognition of human rights for all.’
