Lebanon: In Solidarity
We continue to be concerned for and stand in solidarity with our Lebanese colleagues who are in harm’s way as the attacks intensify. Our thoughts are with them and their loved ones.
We remain heartbroken as we continue to witness escalation of violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our calls for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation, as expressed in our statements from 10 November 2023 and 4 June 2024, remain as urgent as ever.
Now, with the violence spreading into Lebanon, the situation has become even more alarming. We stand in solidarity with all those affected – including our members and partners in the region – and renew our call for an end to the suffering.
MenEngage Alliance, along with our over 1,100 members from 92 countries around the world, collectively express our shock and horror at the indiscriminate attack on Lebanese civilians by Israeli forces and their allies. According to Al Jazeera at least 569 people, including children, have been killed and 1,835 people were wounded in just one day between 23 and 24 September. This violence and killing must end and those who are responsible must be held to account.
As an international community working on gender equality and peace building agendas, we strongly believe that war is not inevitable. War is not the solution to the peace that we seek to achieve. It is part of a patriarchal logic that valorises aggression, occupation, and domination. These dominant, militaristic norms and approaches are the reflections of the problematic exploitative economies of war and a powerful military industrial complex.
With these attacks occurring during the 79th United Nations General Assembly, we call on the international community, policymakers, and world leaders to take urgent and decisive action for peace and human rights – now!