One-year anniversary of daily vigil for peace in Gaza to be held in Columbia Thursday

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the daily vigils for peace in Gaza held by Mid-Missouri Peaceworks volunteers.

Volunteers from the Mid-Missouri Peaceworks started a daily vigil outside Columbia City Hall in response to Israel's blockade of food, water and other essential supplies into Gaza, according to its press release.

According to its website, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks is an egalitarian, non-profit, grassroots membership organization based in downtown Columbia. The mission of the group is "to hold a vision of an ecologically sound, sustainable world and a violence-free community in which human equality and justice flourish." 

The group will meet in front of Columbia City Hall on Thursday from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., where they have been every day since March 4, 2024. The organization also has co-sponsorship from Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation and Mid-Missouri Veterans for Peace.

U.S.-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, had warned the blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza will shut down most of the Palestinian territory's water infrastructure within a week. This move by Israel is being called a "flagrant violation of international law" by the rights group.

Israeli officials said the blockade is to pressure Hamas into accepting new terms to a ceasefire deal after the previous one expired.

Back in November, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes including “starvation as a method of warfare,” following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, and noted that “decisions allowing or increasing humanitarian assistance into Gaza were often conditional.”

US President Donald Trump issued what he said was a “last warning” to Hamas to release all of the hostages in Gaza immediately – in a move that came just hours after the White House confirmed it was negotiating directly with the militant group.