Ceasefire Now Resolution

H.Res. 786

Long title	Calling for an immediate deescalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.
Nicknames	Ceasefire Now Resolution
Number of co-sponsors	17
Legislative history
Introduced in the House of Representatives by Cori Bush (D–MO) on October 16, 2023 Committee consideration by House Foreign Affairs

H. Res. 786, also known as the Ceasefire Now Resolution, is a proposed resolution in the United States House of Representatives. The resolution was introduced by Cori Bush (D-MO) in the 118th Congress in October 2023. ^[1]

The resolution calls the killing of civilians a violation of international law, cites the deaths of Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans and the potential for more deaths as reason for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, and calls for the sending of humanitarian aid to Gaza. ^[2]

Response

Politicians

The resolution has received support from 17 Democratic representatives and no Republican support. President Biden initially rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying, "As long as Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction, a cease-fire is not peace." ^[3] Biden instead called for "humanitarian pauses." ^[4] Eventually he called for temporary ceasefires in February 2024, ^[5] and then an end to the war by May 2024. ^[6]

Public

As of November 30, 2023, 65% of Americans supported a ceasefire according to a YouGov poll. ^[7] "Ceasefire now" has become a slogan during American pro-Palestine protests. ^{[8] [9]}

Local governments

As of March 2024, over 100 American localities have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in the war, ^[10] many of which are modeled on the Ceasefire Now resolution. ^[11]

References

1. Greve, Joan E.; Gambino, Lauren (2023-10-16). "Progressive Democrats bring resolution calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-12-04.
2. "H. RES. 786". 25 October 2023.
3. "Opinion | Joe Biden: The U.S. won't back down from the challenge of Putin and Hamas". Washington Post. 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
4. "US President Joe Biden calls for 'pause' in Israel-Gaza conflict". 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
5. "Biden hopes for ceasefire in days as Israelis, Hamas take part in Qatar talks". Reuters.
6. Khalid, Asma. "President Biden unveils and endorses details of a new Israeli cease-fire proposal". NPR.
7. Leonhardt, David (November 30, 2023). "What the Polls Say About Gaza". New York Times.
8. "Ceasefire protest at Democrats' national headquarters turns violent". 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
9. "'Jews say cease-fire now': New York City's Grand Central Station swarmed by hundreds of protesters demanding peace in Gaza". Fortune. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
10. Nichols, John (2024-03-21). "100 American Communities Have Called for a Gaza Cease-Fire". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2024-03-23.
11. Ellis, Aurora (2024-02-02). "US city councils increasingly call for Israel-Gaza ceasefire, analysis shows". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-03-23.