FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Atlanta, Ga….The Carter Center urges an immediate end to violence in and around Gaza. The government of Israel must cease actions that endanger the civilian population of densely populated Gaza, and the de facto authorities of Gaza must halt rocket attacks.
The Carter Center is deeply concerned at the escalating violence in and around Gaza, and deplores the resulting loss of hundreds of lives, including at least 390 Palestinians, including more than 98 civilians and 42 children according to the United Nations, and four Israeli civilians.
The international community must work for an immediate halt to all violence and rapid action to devise a sustainable cease-fire. While recognizing Israel's right to protect its citizens, these operations are disproportionate and detrimental to the ongoing peace efforts in the region.
The latest events have added to the long-standing suffering of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, which has been subjected to a siege with catastrophic humanitarian consequences over the past 18 months.
Israel's bombing of densely populated areas and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, such as the attacks on the Islamic University of Gaza, contributes to the further radicalization of the Palestinian population and undermines Israel's long-term security interests.
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A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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