Civil Organizations: A Ceasefire Depends on the Compliance of the Occupying State, and Facing Current Challenges Requires Comprehensive Unity

SadaNews - The Palestinian Network of Civil Organizations affirmed its support for the positive statements regarding the possibility of achieving a "ceasefire" to stop the bloodshed and massacres amid the ongoing genocide against the Gaza Strip, halt the humanitarian disaster that our people in Gaza are experiencing, and allow the entry of relief and food aid, especially as starvation continues to be used as a tool of genocide by the Israeli occupying government in its comprehensive war against the Palestinian people. The network warned that the "ceasefire" agreement to be announced soon is contingent upon the occupying state's commitment to cease its aggression, including its withdrawal from the areas it has re-occupied in Gaza.

The consultative meeting convened by the general assembly of the network at the headquarters of the Palestinian Medical Relief on Saturday morning in the West Bank and Gaza, held both in person and via video conferencing via "Zoom," recommended unifying all efforts and revitalizing the role of civil society, under the umbrella that the network represents, and working within its institutions in the West Bank and Gaza amid significant challenges and difficulties to enhance steadfastness. It emphasized the need for community and relief work in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, especially in the northern governorates that are facing incursions and the systematic destruction of their camps, as well as attempts to dismantle UNRWA amidst ongoing settlement and Judaization campaigns, targeting prisoners, and the continuous closures as part of collective punishment and serious violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The meeting decided to establish several specialized committees within its work to develop a comprehensive vision and its historical role to enhance coordination and networking, working within joint task groups, including a committee to formulate a national vision and strengthen Palestinian presence and popular steadfastness, in addition to a committee for advocacy regarding current and fundamental national issues, whether related to prisoners, martyrs, or changes to curricula amidst the pressures facing the Palestinian people. A committee was also formed to follow up on dialogue issues with official bodies and international and external parties concerning funding policies and conditions related to this aspect. The committees aim to activate all institutions and sectors within the national role to protect the space of civil work and its independence and address all challenges at the national level.

The meeting was attended by 45 organizations and began with a minute of silence in honor of the martyrs' souls, followed by a welcoming speech by Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, head of the Palestinian Medical Relief and one of the founders of the network in the early 1990s, who provided a detailed review of the internal conditions and the challenges facing the Palestinian people, especially in light of the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing policies. He emphasized the importance of highlighting the role of Palestinian civil society and the need for integrated efforts at all levels to confront the imminent dangers facing comprehensive unity during a phase characterized by precision and danger that requires the utmost diligence from everyone, directing his regards to the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, and the importance of setting a priority list to cement national steadfastness in the West Bank, including Jerusalem and Gaza, while expanding local, regional, and international advocacy campaigns to support the people of Gaza and reject the occupation's projects aimed at emptying Palestinian land of its owners as part of forced displacement plans.

For his part, Amjad Al-Shawa, the executive director of the network, presented a detailed report on the network's work in the past period, confirming that the network was the first entity in terms of response through its institutions' work, contributing to maintaining steadfastness despite the departure of many international organizations from Gaza after October 7th. The institutions operated in the fields of relief, health assistance, providing food parcels, and psychological support, as well as opening the doors of institutions to accommodate forcibly displaced persons, and providing many services despite the martyrdom of dozens of workers from the institutions, including the targeting of their headquarters, which has been continuously bombed by the occupying forces. He pointed out that many international organizations halted their support and funding to local institutions that continued to operate with their modest resources within their national and community responsibility. The network made significant efforts to coordinate relief efforts and local campaigns, executing tangible interventions in all aspects as part of its strategy aimed at activating the humanitarian work system. It also continued meetings and discussions with international operational institutions and international human rights and humanitarian coalitions and prepared position papers on many aspects that highlight the developments, including declaring the Gaza Strip a humanitarian disaster zone and a famine zone.

Al-Shawa also presented a detailed overview of the work sectors, unifying the media discourse of the network, building communication platforms, creating a media portal, and issuing statements and positions aimed at exposing the practices of the occupation. He mentioned that they operate as a leadership for civil work within effective institutions and the overall orientations of the network at the administrative and daily follow-up levels, in addition to work at the international level, where the network maintains strong relationships with many important international institutions and platforms in Europe and various countries around the world.

During the meeting, many interventions and proposals were submitted by member organizations aimed at developing work effectively and addressing existing gaps with a clear vision that redraws civil work concepts based on partnership and collaboration, while emphasizing the difficulties and dangers of the upcoming phase at various levels. It highlighted the importance of collective action in an environment that guarantees freedom of operation and follows up on coordination with the relevant authorities in the authority regarding issues related to the work of institutions in accordance with the law, and preserving the safety and independence of civil work. It has been decided to hold several regular and urgent meetings and to immediately begin forming various committees and activating the work of sectors in the upcoming phase according to the mechanisms that ensure the development and effectiveness of the work.