GPPAC Calls for an End to Armed Conflict, Protection of Civilians, and Engagement of Local Peacebuilders to Support Diplomacy in the Middle East

As a global network of locally rooted peacebuilding organisations, GPPAC expresses concern at the armed conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, and the accompanying violations of international law. We condemn the continued use of violence and call for an immediate end to the armed conflict.

This inflicts civilian harm, undermines years of preventive and peacebuilding efforts, and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order. It also heightens risks to nuclear safety and the danger of escalation in a region with nuclear capabilities, while increasing the likelihood of further violence across and beyond the region.

The protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure is paramount. We stand in solidarity with civilian victims and call for safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. A return to diplomacy and negotiated solutions must remain a priority. 

When such openings emerge, engagement with local and regional peacebuilding and preventive actors, including GPPAC members in the region, will be critical to mitigate societal harm and reduce the risk of prolonged regional instability and human suffering.

Fadi Abi Allam, GPPAC Regional Representative Middle East and North Africa, Director, Permanent Peace Movement, Lebanon
Lucy Nusseibeh, GPPAC Board Member, Founder and Chairperson, Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND), East Jerusalem
Yoshioka Tatsuya, Chair of the GPPAC Board, Founder and Director, Peace Boat
Zahid Mövlazadä, GPPAC Executive Director