Statement
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Posted July 31, 2006

IPPNW strongly supports United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call for an immediate Middle East ceasefire


Appeal to Kofi Annan
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

The ongoing deadly conflict between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and a serious humanitarian crisis.

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War fully supports your call for an immediate cease-fire on humanitarian grounds, and believes that the cease-fire will need to be maintained by a United Nations international force, deployed in a buffer zone between Lebanon and Israel.

The longer a cease-fire is delayed, the greater the loss of life and more massive the destruction of human habitation and infrastructure. Continued fighting also increases the danger of escalation into a wider war in a volatile region where nuclear arms exist. It is a wake-up call for the revival of nuclear disarmament and the establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East.

Only peaceful negotiations, based on a genuine desire for peace and justice, will resolve this humanitarian crisis and the underlying Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Negotiations can only begin after a cease-fire is in force.


Yours sincerely,

Ron McCoy and Gunnar Westberg Co-Presidents, IPPNW

 

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