A sharp escalation of the conflict in and around Palestine has seen simmering tensions in the Middle East erupt overnight. It has now appeared to tip into an unprecedented escalation, sparking fears that the situation may deteriorate in the coming hours and days. Actor and model Ishita Reha Gupta strongly condemned all violence and called on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid civilian casualties. She also urged for an immediate ceasefire as more than a million people, nearly half of them children, are in danger ahead of a planned ground assault. The situation is rapidly deteriorating and children continue to pay the highest price for the violence.
Ishita’s NGO RehVamp has released an official statement saying “Civilians in The Occupied Palestinian Territory and The State of Israel are suffering utter anguish and devastation. While in Gaza, families have been bombed following an unfair evacuation order that affected over 1.1 million Palestinians, leaving people searching for safety with nowhere to go. Israel's repeated orders for the evacuation of 22 hospitals treating more than 2,000 inpatients in northern Gaza are almost like a death sentence for the patients, especially those who rely on life support and newborn babies in incubators. Morgues are overflowing. Homes, schools, shelters, health centres and places of worship are under attack. Entire residential neighbourhoods have been knocked off to the ground. UN aid workers have been killed.”.
Looking at the devastating situation, Ishita has made her stand loud and clear in support of the war affected innocent civilians of Palestine. She said, “Wars have rules and these rules must be abided by. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian workers and assets, must be protected. Civilians must be allowed to leave for safer areas. And whether they move or stay, constant care must be taken to not attack them. Essential supplies, medical care and services and humanitarian access must be allowed. World leaders must intervene and ensure respect for the rules of war and to avoid any further escalation. It pains me to see that humanity is failing”.
RehVamp has generously donated an undisclosed amount to UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees in Palestine. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Palestine War and subsequent conflicts, as well as their descendants, including legally adopted children.
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