Yesterday’s news outlined the details of a sequential ceasefire and hostage deal. Long overdue, this fragile news comes at a time when everyone is desperate for relief. Millions have been displaced. Tens of thousands are dead. So many have been held hostage away from their loved ones.
ALLMEP and our members have been tirelessly working to secure this deal and a better future for Palestinians and Israelis. ALLMEP staff in the region are relieved, as are our 160+ members, their alumni, and all those working toward a more just, equal, secure, and peaceful future. The work is far from over, and the peacebuilding community needs our support to shape the chapter that follows this immense tragedy. Read their statements below.
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Combatants for Peace: Today, after 15 months of unbearable loss, suffering and destruction, a ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner deal has been announced—a crucial step toward ending the violence. While this offers a moment of relief, our work is far from over. As “Combatants for Peace”, we remain steadfast in our commitment to nonviolence as we know there is no military solution to this conflict. We are dedicated to building a long-term vision: a future where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side, in peace, with dignity, justice, and freedom for all.
Standing Together: FINALLY! A ceasefire and hostage deal has been reached! After so many months of suffering, soon the first hostages will be released and the airstrikes on Gaza will stop. As we have been saying for so long: agreements save lives.
Parents Circle – Families Forum
ROPES (The Regional Organization for Peace, Economics, and Security)
Now is the time to celebrate but also to hold our leaders accountable: there must be a full deal that leaves no hostage behind and ends the war once and for all.
We have all seen what happens when violence and injustice shapes events in the region. Let’s now get to work on ensuring that it is Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders who write this next chapter.
ALLMEP’s John Lyndon speaks with USA Today in recent article here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/israel-hamas/2025/01/15/peacemakers-israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-hope/77724734007/
