Local Palestinians and advocates gathered at Freedom Plaza on Wednesday to urge the D.C. Council to pass a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has resulted in the deaths of 25,000 people – the majority of them women and children.

The call from local residents comes more than 100 days after Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 200 others hostage, more than 100 of whom are still captive.

Some speakers at the rally spoke of loved ones who’ve been injured, killed, or displaced in Gaza.

Ward 3 resident Haitham Arafat, who was born in Gaza, shared how some family members were killed and others injured by the Israeli military last November. An Israeli tank shelled his cousin’s house, forcing his relatives to relocate to his 84- year-old aunt’s home nearby, according to Arafat. They waited until the morning hours, he said, before making what should have been a 10 minute walk.

“There was an Israeli tank at the end of the road. A guy inside the tank saw an 84-year-old woman with kids, daughter-in-laws – about nine of them. Yet, he decided to press the button and he shelled them,” said Arafat.

Arafat said his relatives were bleeding and tried to call an ambulance but it never showed up. “The reason is that the Israelis are not allowing ambulances to come. They couldn’t go to the hospital because there are snipers everywhere,” said Arafat.

“We would like ceasefire as soon as possible. People deserve to live in dignity.”

Since the Israeli-Hamas war began more than 3 months ago, there have been multiple events both in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as a pro-Israel rally, respectively. Local residents have also organized vigils and fundraisers.

Amr Madkour, an obstetrician who lives in Ward 5, said he came to the event after working a 24-hour shift at a nearby hospital because he wanted to speak out for his relatives in Gaza who have been killed or displaced.

“I think we are witnessing a turning point in history. It’s a brutal genocide. It’s a wholesale destruction of an entire region and all of its people and all of its infrastructure and history. I don’t think the world will ever be the same,” said Madkour. “I can’t stay quiet.”

An estimated 50 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners signed a letter on Dec. 18 asking the D.C. Council to pass a resolution for a permanent ceasefire, along with “an unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian hatred within our community.”

ANC 1D05 commissioner Omar Parbhoo, who is Palestinian-American, was among those signees and was also present at the Wednesday gathering to re-up his plea for his fellow elected leaders to take action.

“It’s with deep conviction and a heavy heart that I call for the city to add its voice to demand a ceasefire without delay,” said Parbhoo. “But too often I hear rationalizations for why our city can’t act. I hear that the situation is complex, and that there’s no guarantee that a ceasefire would bring calm and comfort to those in desperate need. Respectfully, I reject those arguments.”

Although some say that a ceasefire resolution by the D.C. Council would be largely symbolic, Parbhoo argues that the pressure could help stop the deaths of “innocent people” by both the Israeli government and Hamas, along with facilitating the return of remaining Israeli hostages.

“We must speak out. Our country and our leaders are implicated by enabling the scope and intensity of this conflict,” said Parbhoo.

Across the United States, calls for a ceasefire from local leaders have picked up steam, including cities like Minneapolis and Oakland, among others. In Chicago, some city councilmembers have also made the push for such a resolution (pending a recent delay for a vote), with even the mayor joining the call.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack, several D.C. councilmembers spoke out against the loss of life for both Israelis and Palestinians but so far none have introduced a resolution for a cease fire.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson did host a briefing from a group calling for a permanent ceasefire, citing the importance of hearing different perspectives, but his office said it would not work on such a resolution.

“I think that the Council should refrain from getting into international issues,” Mendelson told DCist/WAMU.

Meanwhile, the office of Ward 7 Councilmember Vince Gray did not give a definitive yes or no to the subject.

“As with all matters, Councilmember Gray considers legislation, resolutions, nominations, and all other matters before the Council on their merit. If a resolution is put forward, Councilmember Gray will apply that approach,” said Chuck Thies, a spokesperson for Gray.

A representative for At-Large Councilmember Robert White’s office told DCist/WAMU that White was traveling and that his staff is unable to get a hold of him for a comment. Representatives for Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau, and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. told DCist/WAMU that they were not available to respond, respectively.

No other councilmembers responded to DCist/WAMU’s request for comment by publication.