The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) today called on all parties to take the steps necessary to defuse the escalating tensions in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Lebanon. ATFP warned that the region is heading towards an extremely dangerous conflagration that would not be in the interest of any of the involved states, organizations and communities.

ATFP is deeply concerned at the increasing loss of life among innocent Palestinian civilians and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which remains without electricity and sufficient food and water. ATFP urges the Bush Administration to use its good offices with Israel to help stop what amounts to an indiscriminate and disproportional attack on the Palestinian people generally. ATFP called on the Palestinian Authority and all Palestinian factions to halt and prevent missile attacks against Israeli targets. These attacks have only served to deepen the crisis and expose the Palestinian people to greater suffering. The Task Force urged the immediate release of captured Israeli soldiers and also called for the release of prisoners being held by Israel.

ATFP insists that while all parties may feel that their actions are justified and that they are acting in self-defense, no group stands to benefit from the escalating crisis, which is spinning out of control. ATFP believes that the US government has a crucial role to play in deescalating the crisis and recognized that the problem would require the most delicate and skillful diplomacy. However, ATFP urged the Bush Administration to spare no effort to help end the cycle of violence. The Task Force reiterated its conviction that there is no military solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and that neither side can achieve its aims through violence. ATFP holds that the quest of Palestinians for freedom and an independent state, the quest of Israelis for security and regional acceptance, and the quest of both peoples and the international community for peace in the Middle East can all be achieved only through a negotiated settlement between the two parties.