State lawmaker among few Delaware officials protesting for permanent cease-fire in Gaza

Delaware state Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton and a group of state lawmakers from around the country are wrapping up a five-day hunger strike calling for U.S. federal officials to pressure Israel to end its bombardment and military incursion in Gaza.

The end of the protest outside the White House in Washington on Friday comes as Israel restarted its bombing campaign and while international authorities are also warning about a growing humanitarian crisis of disease and hunger for the 2 million people inside the Gaza Strip.

"Going back to bombing a captive population is unacceptable and should not be on the table," said Wilson-Anton, a New Castle County Democrat, in an interview this week.

Some 14,800 people, mostly women and children, in Gaza have been killed by Israeli military actions since October, according to Palestinian authorities, who also estimate more are likely dead and buried in the rubble.

The bombing and military incursion were sparked by attacks in Israel conducted by Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 7. Israeli officials have said those attacks killed some 1,200 people in Israel and saw more than 200 taken hostage.

Israeli leaders have said the bombardment will not end until it destroys Hamas and frees its captives.

Around the world, people have protested the military campaign, saying the indiscriminate killing of civilians amounts to collective punishment of innocents in the densely populated enclave that has been under an Israeli blockade for years.

RECENT: State congressional officials not in support of growing protests seeking Gaza cease-fire

Domestic and international pressure from citizens and human rights groups have put growing pressure on President Joe Biden and federal leaders to use their influence to call for a permanent cease-fire and cut off or precondition billions of dollars in U.S. military aid bound for Israel.

A recent, temporary cease-fire stretched for a week and allowed for the exchange of hostages and the flow of civilian aid, but human rights officials say that doesn't fix the humanitarian crisis or prevent further mass death. On Friday, bombing resumed after the truce expired, according to reporting from the New York Times.

"The only conversation we should be having is for a permanent cease-fire and diplomatic solution and not a military approach," Wilson-Anton said.

'Risk of famine'

The second-term state representative has been posted outside the White House daily since Monday alongside a group of other state lawmakers and activists calling for a permanent cease-fire.

Throughout the week, they've held vigils speaking the names of civilians killed and invited passers-by to learn more about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and to add a red mark on a banner to symbolize a drop of blood for every person killed during the military incursion. They've also abstained from eating to "visualize the starvation diet that Gazans have been put through by Israel," Wilson-Anton said.

While the mass death in Gaza has spurred protests, human rights organizations have also warned of an ongoing and growing humanitarian crisis brought about by a lack of food, fuel, water and electricity in the shelled strip where more than three-quarters of the 2.3 million that live there have been uprooted.

Before the recent, temporary cease-fire, the officials with the UN World Food Programme estimated food entering the blockaded strip met only about 7% of the daily needs of the population. Since then, aid has increased with the temporary cease-fire, but UN officials described it this week as "woefully inadequate to address the level of hunger seen by staff in the UN shelters and communities."

Starvation and dehydration could bring about what officials described as famine.

Two days ago, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization told U.N. officials that deaths from disease and other health conditions could double the number dead from the bombing campaign, Reuters reported.

The Associated Press described northern Gaza, where Israel's offensive has focused so far, as an "uninhabitable moonscape," where whole neighborhoods have been leveled and homes, schools and hospitals have been rendered unusable by airstrikes.

"Even if they haven't had a family member die, people are having trouble getting food, water and basic necessities," Wilson-Anton said. "This is a way for us to bring attention to this."

There is also the question of what happens when Israel begins to focus its campaign on the southern portion of Gaza where it has previously directed fleeing refugees from the north.

"To say, 'We are going to stop bombing for six days so people can finally take a breath and we're going to get some humanitarian aide in there and then we are going to start bombing schools and churches again' is unacceptable and that is why we are out here," Wilson-Anton said.

Local politicians silent on cease-fire calls

Wilson-Anton is one of only a handful of Delaware politicians who have lent their voice to calling for a permanent end to the bombardment. She was an organizer in a protest last month that saw scores of Delawareans march on Biden's Greenville home.

A week later, an uncharacteristically large crowd of protesters successfully petitioned the Wilmington City Council to support a resolution pushed by Councilwoman Shané Darby calling for a permanent cease-fire.

Meanwhile, state officials with the Delaware Democratic Party have remained silent on the devolving conditions in Gaza. Wilson-Anton said she believes there is a disconnect between the public and local leaders regarding the need for a permanent cease-fire, citing polls that show Americans support calling for a cease-fire.

At times, Wilson-Anton and other protesters were joined by federal lawmakers, but not any from Delaware.

Delaware Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester have also not called for any permanent end to the bombardment. Their public statements have largely been focused on supporting Israel.

Wilson-Anton extended her criticism to Democrats running to replace Blunt Rochester in Congress next year. With Carper retiring, Blunt Rochester is currently running without a Democratic opponent for his Senate seat.

The campaign manager for state Sen. Sarah McBride, a candidate in that race, shared a social media post in which McBride condemned Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and emphasized the need for the "US to stand with Israel and support its right to defend itself." Her campaign manager also noted the candidate has "publicly supported President Biden's efforts in securing humanitarian aid for civilians."

Delaware State Housing Authority Director Eugene Young and the campaign for Delaware Treasurer Colleen Davis, the other two Democratic candidates in that race, have made no public statement regarding a cease-fire and provided none in response to an inquiry.

Meanwhile, Biden has praised the recent temporary pause while standing behind Israel in its bombing campaign.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware state representative joins protests for cease-fire in Gaza