The Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party have issued the following statement on September 26, 2024

October 7, marks the completion of one year of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. In the name of retaliating against the Hamas for the latter’s attack within Israel on October 7, last year, the Israeli armed forces have conducted a brutal and indiscriminate attack on Palestinians in Gaza. As a result of this war nearly 42,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children have died. Thousands more are buried under the rubble. Israel has not spared residential buildings, schools and hospitals from their savage aerial and ground bombardment. The reputed medical journal The Lancet, estimates that the death toll from Israel’s aggression could be above 85,000 (as of 6 August), counting both the direct and indirect deaths.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had in January this year termed the Israeli actions as leading to possible genocide and called upon Israel to cease military actions in Gaza. Israel has so far scuttled all meaningful talks for a ceasefire.

Not only that, Israel has mounted attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank throughout the year. Israel has used pagers and other communications on a mass scale to trigger bombs, escalating and expanding the conflict into Lebanon.

All around the world, millions of people have been protesting against the Israeli genocidal war and calling for an end to the war. On the first anniversary of this barbarous war, peace loving people of Indian demand an immediate end to the war.

The Left parties will observe October 7, 2024 with a call for an immediate ceasefire and end to hostilities. On this day, demonstrations and meetings will be held to demand an immediate ceasefire; call upon the Indian government to halt all arms exports to Israel and to work for a two-State solution, whereby an independent Palestinian State can come into existence.