19 January 2025 – After 15 months of unspeakable devastation in Gaza, the East London Mosque welcomes this recent ceasefire deal as an essential first step toward ending one of the most egregious and most openly documented crimes of our time.

Gaza has endured its darkest period in history. Over forty-six thousand Palestinians have been killed, and countless others remain unaccounted for, including journalists, aid workers, and medical staff. Nearly two million people have been displaced, their homes, hospitals, and places of worship reduced to rubble.

Humanitarian aid must now be allowed to flow unobstructed into Gaza immediately to meet the urgent needs of a population facing starvation. The international community must uphold accountability under international law, take decisive action to prevent a recurrence of the atrocities of the past 15 months and ensure that those responsible for acts of genocide are brought to justice through due process.

While we welcome this agreement with a sense of relief and hope, we remain deeply concerned about its fragility. The active opposition of senior Israeli ministers to end the bloodshed, along with their history of undermining previous deals, underscores the urgent need for world leaders to take decisive action to ensure this ceasefire is upheld.

The cycle of violence will only truly end when Israel ends its illegal military occupation, and Palestinians are able to live with the dignity and freedom that all freedom-loving people the world over seek, struggle for and deserve. Until then, we will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and permanent peace.