Global Multi-Faith Letter: Leaders Demand End to the Atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, and an End to All Violence

Global Multi-Faith Letter: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Leaders Demand Intervention, Accountability, an End to the Atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, and an End to All Violence
Since the ceasefire deal there has been nearly 250 people killed from Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip. The total death toll in Gaza is over 68,000, with over half being women and children, over 100,000 are injured:
November 5, 2025:
Please note: The text of this letter was finalized before the ceasefire deal announced on October 8, 2025. The ceasefire is a welcome step. As the letter indicates, we celebrate the return of hostages and detainees, but insist there is still a need for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and for the conditions that will lead to a just and lasting peace. World leaders must now redouble their efforts to ensure the terms of the deal are not violated and a permanent peace is realized.

We, leaders representing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, come together united by the profound belief that all human beings are created in the image of God. In this conviction, we affirm the inherent dignity, equality, and worth of every person, regardless of religion, nationality, or ethnicity. This belief calls us to speak with urgency, compassion, and moral clarity in response to the ongoing devastation in Gaza and the broader Middle East.

For too long, violence, oppression, and displacement have brought immeasurable suffering to the peoples of this region. The October 7 Hamas attacks included the kidnapping and murder of Israelis and others. Since then, Israelis have continued to live through rocket attacks from state and non-state actors from Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran. Less than fifty hostages remain in Gaza, with about twenty believed to be still alive. Thousands of Israelis remain displaced from their homes in the south and the north. The ongoing war does not make Israelis safer but only increases the casualties and the trauma. There must be investigations and accountability toward all militant and violent actors, including Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), to be held accountable for violations of international law and the violations of fundamental human rights, including, but not limited to, atrocities and killings of civilians and non-combatants, journalists, healthcare workers, and others.

Over the past two years in Gaza, we have witnessed an unfathomable human-made humanitarian catastrophe brought on by Israel’s military campaign that must be brought to an end. Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of entire communities, and the ongoing denial of fundamental human rights, including the right to food, water, healthcare, housing, and education. The August 2025 determination by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) of confirmed famine in Gaza, impacting over 500,000 residents, underscores the grave danger Gazans face. Approximately 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced numerous times as a result of the violence, most of whom were already refugees from 1948. As the Israeli military engages in a targeted offensive on Gaza City, more Gazans have once again been forced to relocate in large numbers, though there is no safe place for them to seek refuge. Israel’s military operations have extended beyond Gaza into the occupied West Bank, where the highest numbers of Palestinian killings in decades, widespread displacement (particularly in the northern region), intensified military control, detention of thousands of Palestinians without charges in Israeli prisons, and torture underscore an unacceptable and growing crisis.

We speak today with one voice to call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, including an end to armed attacks, the return of the hostages, and the end of the blockade and occupation of Gaza. Palestinians must be allowed to receive sufficient amounts of food, medical supplies, and other essential humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials. Supplies must be made available in an unfettered manner that does not threaten the lives of aid seekers and is not controlled by military actors.

There is no military solution to resolve the issues at stake, only a shared future grounded in justice, equality, and mutual security for all. The only way Israelis and Palestinians will have lasting peace is through negotiations grounded in the application of international law and accountability that will bring self-determination for the Palestinian people, an end to the occupation, and recognition of the rights of all those who have been displaced so that both Israelis and Palestinians can realize dignity, security, democracy, and human rights.

As religious leaders, we reject all forms of collective punishment. The Israeli military’s targeting of civilians, denial of humanitarian access, weaponization of food, and deliberate destruction of infrastructure and places of worship violate the deepest tenets of our respective traditions. Our faiths command us to feed the hungry, shelter the displaced, care for the sick, and safeguard the vulnerable, especially the poorest and most in need.

The futures of Palestinians, Israelis, and all peoples of the Middle East are intertwined. A durable peace requires that the legitimate concerns of all communities, particularly the most marginalized, are heard, honored, and fully addressed. Under divine grace, we are bound to one another not only by shared ancestry through Abraham but by a sacred responsibility to one another as brothers and sisters.

We issue this call not only as a response to war and extreme violence, but as a moral imperative to build a future rooted in hope and human flourishing. We urge our respective governments and global leaders to act under these principles and to commit to the following:

First, we demand the establishment of a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire without delay. This war cannot be resolved through military means. Only through an immediate end to military action can the necessary space be created for diplomacy, reconstruction, and long-term reconciliation.

Second, the urgent and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and medical assistance to all who are suffering in Gaza must be implemented. Access to food, clean water, shelter, and health care is a fundamental human right, and humanitarian convoys and aid workers must be allowed to operate freely, without obstruction or delay, to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population.

Third, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza. The hostages have endured over 600 days of horror and deprivation and must be returned to their families and communities. The use of hostages as a bargaining tool for political concessions constitutes a breach of humanitarian law.

Fourth, we insist that all parties and actors involved must uphold international law and the human rights of all peoples. Violations, including the targeting of civilians, collective punishment, and the denial of basic services, must be addressed and prevented. This includes the release of thousands of Palestinians held in administrative detention by Israel–many of whom are minors–without charges or trial. Continued detention of anyone without due process or accountability violates fundamental principles of human dignity and international law. Justice cannot flourish where impunity reigns.

Finally, the decades-long military occupation of Palestinian land, including violations of the Geneva Convention and all forms of illegal annexation and settlement expansion, must end. A just and lasting peace is impossible so long as the fundamental rights of Palestinians are denied and their freedom, self-determination, and dignity are systematically undermined. Israelis must be able to live with freedom, self-determination, and dignity, and Jews must be able to find refuge, as they have found in Israel over the years, especially as antisemitism rises across the world.

We offer our prayers, solidarity, and unwavering commitment to peace with justice. Let our shared Abrahamic heritage not be a source of division but a foundation upon which we build a future where every child can live in dignity, safety, and hope.

May the Holy One, Compassionate and Merciful, grant us the wisdom, courage, and love to walk this path together.