Americans like me, who are paying attention to the atrocities being perpetrated against the Palestinian people, are outraged and ashamed over our government’s continued support and funding of this genocide.

According to a television report from Israel’s Channel 12, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said that President Trump is fully supportive of Israel’s invasion of Gaza City and the forced displacement of 1 million citizens. Another Israeli government minister, Amichai Eliyahu, has been quoted as saying, “The army must find ways more painful than death for the civilians of Gaza: killing them is not enough.”

Meanwhile, a famine has been declared by the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). This is only the fifth time the organization has declared a famine and the first time outside the continent of Africa.

Israel has uprooted 1 million olive trees, destroyed the Palestinian seed bank and dropped the equivalent of 70,000 tons of ammunition on Gaza, which is the equivalent of six nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima. This is nothing short of ecocide and homicide.

Based on leaked data from the Israel Defense Forces, 83% of those killed were civilians, including over 272 journalists who have been documenting these war crimes.

I am asking my fellow citizens to whatever they can to stop this slaughter and starvation, whether it be protesting, boycotting or demanding their elected representatives take action to stop this ongoing crime against humanity.

Hannahlore Trickett
Norridgewock