Activists have launched a global campaign asking people to turn the New Year’s countdown in their countries into a countdown for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza where Israel keeps committing war crimes in its ongoing onslaught on the besieged Palestinian territory.
A grassroots campaign named Countdown2Ceasefire has emerged from London, initiated by young activists leveraging social media to amplify their call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The campaign has garnered support from over 40 countries and plans to livestream local countdown events across various social media platforms.
“New Year’s Eve is a moment of celebration worldwide, and an opportunity to create resolutions for a brighter future. With nearly 30,000 civilians killed, including over 10,000 children, our only New Year’s resolution is to call for a permanent ceasefire,” Countdown2Ceasefire, the London-based grassroots campaign, said in a statement on Thursday.
“Our aim is to morph the traditional New Year’s countdown into an influential and resounding countdown for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
Bushra Mohammad, a campaign spokeswoman, said that a truce could be the first step in ending the current deplorable situation in the besieged territory. “A permanent ceasefire is the first step in ending the current deplorable situation and a tangible move towards a future where traumatized communities can rebuild and recover.”
Israel’s brutal military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 21,800 people and wounded more than 55,000 others triggering a global outrage, with protesters across the world rallying to call for a ceasefire.
Many have also expressed their disappointment towards politicians and countries who vetoed or abstained from voting for a ceasefire at the United Nations.
Rights organizations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders also condemned countries vetoing a ceasefire, warning that this would result in a humanitarian disaster.
Demonstrators in Vancouver have also joined the cause, hanging banners in multiple locations to support Palestine, calling for a change in Canada’s policy towards Palestine, and highlighting the ongoing atrocities in the region.
People in Australia have also staged fresh rallies for the eleventh weekend in solidarity with the besieged Palestinians. The largest demonstrations have taken place in Sydney and Melbourne where thousands of people once again flooded the streets downtown demanding Israel stop its genocide against residents of Gaza.
On Saturday, the World Food Programme warned that it’s in a race against time to avert starvation for millions in Gaza.
“Only a long-term ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access can end this,” the UN agency posted on X.
Israel’s brutal onslaught on the Palestinian territory that began on Oct. 7 has so far displaced some 85 percent of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million residents and sparked a humanitarian crisis that has left a quarter of Gaza’s population starving.
