The Gaza invasion by Israeli armed forces has created a humanitarian crisis on a scale never seen in the 56 years of Israeli occupation.

The attacks on hospitals, mosques, schools and United Nations relief organizations are war crimes, according to Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

With 10,515 Palestinians murdered, roughly half children, and 26,000 injured, Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza cannot be considered a defensive action.

This is ethnic cleansing at best and genocide at worst.

While the world watches in horror and with ordinary working people feeling helpless, the United States will be providing $14.5 billion in aid to Israel that will further enable Israel to continue its war crimes.

This is US taxpayer money used to destroy lives thousands of miles away while ordinary American citizens go without health care, student debt relief, crumbling and unsafe infrastructure, and lack of access to basic necessities compounded by inflation and stagnant wages.

Palestinians, Israelis and Americans all deserve better.

The voices being raised in Congress like that of Representative Rashida Tlaib deserve to be heard and the demand for a ceasefire must be reinforced with sanctions to stop the unnecessary loss of human life.

As the United Statets celebrates Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, the lessons of war and the meaning of peace should not be lost.

Human life, whether Israeli or Palestinian, should matter more than the profits of weapons manufacturers or political points for politicians running for office.

Jason Jones

Pendleton