Solidarity Statement on the current situation in Palestine

We Advocate for the Rights of All People on the Move – Regardless of Origin, Religion, Skin Color, or Sexual Orientation!

At the heart of our work lies direct support for people who have been displaced. We provide assistance through donations, direct aid, and invaluable cooperation with our Greek partner organizations.

Our work in Greece brings us face-to-face with individuals fleeing war, occupation, and oppression – including people from Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestine.

Displacement is never voluntary. It is the result of violence, displacement, and political neglect.

For many Palestinians, flight is not a state of emergency, but everyday life. The history of the Palestinian people is characterised by displacement - since 1948.

Since the unilateral end of the ceasefire and the ongoing blockade of Gaza by the Israeli government in March 2025, the situation in Gaza has escalated once again. However, the lives of Palestinians in the illegally occupied West Bank have also been characterised by ethnic cleansing, illegal settlement construction, dehumanisation and displacement by the Israeli military and radical Israeli settler groups for decades.

The deliberate oppression and destruction of the Palestinian population constitutes a blatant violation of human rights and international law. Far-right ministers in the Israeli government are openly using genocidal rhetoric. Recently, Israel’s war cabinet approved a new military operation aimed at the permanent occupation of Gaza and the expulsion of its population. We are witnessing an escalation in the systematic displacement, targeted killings of civilians, and indiscriminate bombing of densely populated areas and civil infrastructure. This includes the killing of journalists, UN personnel and rescue workers. Despite widespread condemnation from both state and non-state international actors, urgently needed humanitarian aid has been blocked for months by the Israeli army. While some aid is now allowed to pass through Israeli-controlled checkpoints, it is grossly insufficient to meet the needs on the ground. The supplies, which have been allowed through the Israeli-controlled checkpoints again for a few days now, are by no means meeting needs and are causing more deaths.

These acts are war crimes and, according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) were already considered potentially relevant acts under the Genocide Convention in the South Africa v. Israel case in early 2024. A Therefore, the ICC in The Hague ruled that the Israeli government must ‘take all measures in its power to prevent (a) killing members of the group [Palestinians in Gaza], (b) causing them serious bodily or mental harm, (c) imposing living conditions intended to bring about their total or partial physical destruction, and (d) taking measures intended to prevent births within the group.’

Since the beginning of the war, over 53,500 people have been killed in Gaza, including 17,000 children, according to UNRWA. These figures are difficult to independently verify, but the actual number of victims is likely much higher.

It is scandalous that many Western countries – including Germany – not only tolerate these crimes, but actively enable them through arms exports, political backing, and silence.

The ongoing forced displacement in both the West Bank and Gaza means that Palestinians are being turned into refugees both within their own homeland and beyond. Many of them have been uprooted multiple times – scarred by decades of systematic violence, blockades, and military aggression.

This is why the issue of Palestine is inseparable from our work at Europe’s borders. It affects us all.

At Project Elpida, and through our partner organizations in Greece, we also work with Palestinian refugees. Their stories, their traumas, and their resistance are part of this ongoing injustice – and the reason why many seek asylum in the EU. Anyone who advocates for refugees in Greece cannot remain silent about the suffering in Gaza.

The crisis in Gaza is not an isolated event. It is the expression of a long-standing, systemic pattern of displacement, oppression, and violence. For this reason, we consider it our duty not to remain silent – but to stand in solidarity and speak out.

We call for an immediate ceasefire, a de-escalation, and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and blockade of Gaza.

We also demand the return of the Israeli hostages still in the Gaza Strip and the release of the almost 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The violence must end – now. This includes unequivocally distancing ourselves from violence against Israeli civilians, especially the Hamas-led attacks on October 7.

We demand: No more displacement, and no more suffering for innocent people. What is needed is peace, justice, and human dignity. We call on the German Federal Government and the EU to fulfil their obligation to uphold international humanitarian law, the UN Human Rights Charter and the findings of the ICJ and ICC.

The German government’s refusal to take such action is a clear act of political double standards. Human rights and equality appear not to apply to Palestinians. We are committed to ensuring that these rights are upheld for all people – without exception.

As a non-profit organization, it has taken us far too long to publicly express our solidarity with Gaza. This delay was a failure. Our silence, in turn, made us complicit.

As part of German civil society and the refugee solidarity movement, we have a duty to stand against all forms of war, oppression, and displacement. Our silence failed to live up to that responsibility – and for that, we sincerely apologize. This statement may come late, but it is nonetheless necessary. Our ethical principles no longer allow for silence. The rights of people do not end at Greece’s borders – they extend to Gaza, Rafah, and the West Bank, as well as to Khartoum, Naypyidaw, Rojava and Kinshasa.

We are deeply concerned about the growing pressure on civil liberties in Germany: the rise of the far right, increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, the criminalization of Palestine solidarity, police violence against protesters, and one-sided media coverage are all signs of a dangerous political shift. In public discourse, solidarity with Palestine is often immediately labeled as antisemitic. We, too, were intimidated by this climate and feared that speaking out could jeopardize our ability to support refugees in Greece.

Our solidarity goes out to all who, despite this hostile climate, have taken to the streets in recent months and years to advocate for the rights of Palestinians – especially marginalized groups.

We believe it is essential to clearly and loudly affirm our ethical commitment to justice, freedom, and equality for all. We advocate for these rights in Germany and show solidarity – from Greece to Palestine.

In light of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, support on the ground is urgently needed. As Project Elpida, our mandate limits us to supporting refugees in Greece; we are not equipped to operate directly in Gaza.

That is why we refer to trusted aid organizations delivering direct humanitarian support to the civilian population. Donations and political pressure can save lives.

Cadus, lemontree collective, free kitchen gaza