Red Line for Gaza: Wales must speak while we still have a chance

Sarah Rees, Head of Oxfam Cymru

A little over a century ago, more than 390,000 Welsh women — the grandmothers of our nation — signed a peace petition and shipped it across the Atlantic, urging the women of America to join their call for peace after the horrors of World War I.

Their courageous act wasn’t just a footnote in history — it was herstory: a powerful legacy of peacebuilding that runs deep in our national identity. These women organised, mobilised, and led a movement rooted in compassion, courage, and a belief that Wales could be a moral force in the world.

Today, that baton is in our hands. And the need for action is no less urgent.

Gaza: A Catastrophe in Real Time

We are witnessing one of the most devastating humanitarian catastrophes of our time unfold in Gaza. Thousands of civilians, many of them women and children, have been killed. Entire communities have been flattened. Families have been starved, displaced, and cut off from lifesaving aid. The scale of grief and devastation is staggering.

This is more than a tragedy. It is a moral emergency, one where Wales has a duty – and a tradition – to respond.

 Our Responsibility – and Our Power

In 2015, Wales became the first country in the world to enshrine the principle of global responsibility into law, through the Well-being of Future Generations Act. This landmark legislation doesn’t just commit us to improving life in our own communities — it compels us to consider how our actions affect future generations everywhere.

It recognises that the choices we make in Wales ripple far beyond our borders — and that our duty to do the right thing does not stop at the edge of our coastline.

While foreign affairs may not be devolved, our values are. And in Wales, we believe in peace, justice, and international law. We are a nation of humanitarians, descendants of women who resolutely led peace campaigns, never afraid to challenge injustice. Our small country has long punched above its weight on the global stage, and we carry a proud legacy of standing up for what’s right.

That legacy continues today. When the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) visited Wales for the first time in June, they came with a clear message: every voice matters, and every nation must speak out.

They believe Wales can make a difference. So do we. That’s why, when Oxfam Cymru met with UNRWA, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue acting — as we have been — in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Red Line Cymru: A National Stand for Peace

Across Wales, people have been standing up for Gaza — from peaceful marches to silent vigils, from candle-lit gatherings to everyday acts of compassion. That solidarity speaks volumes. Now, it’s time to bring those voices together under one united banner.

Oxfam, in partnership and collaboration with many of our partners, is running a rolling campaign focussed on the devastating conflict in Gaza, the unacceptable killing and maiming of children, and the indiscriminate targeting of civilians.

Here in Wales, Oxfam Cymru has launched Red Line Cymru – a national campaign to unite people across Wales – to send a clear, visible, and principled message: the violence in Gaza must end.

We are inviting every person in Wales to take one powerful action: draw a red line. Whether it’s on your window, in your community, or on social media, this red line is a symbol of where we stand — and what we will not accept.

It’s a line of protest, yes — but also of solidarity, unity, and hope. A line that says: Wales has seen enough. And Wales will not be silent.

Our Red Lines

In any conflict, there are red lines that must never be crossed. In Gaza, those lines are not just being crossed – they are being obliterated.

Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war by blocking the delivery of food and aid, including for women and children. Everyone in Gaza is at risk of famine. Starving people is a red line.

Schools, hospitals, and refugee camps — places meant to offer shelter and care — have been bombed repeatedly, with people left to burn inside the rubble. Aid distribution centres have been targeted. Killing civilians is a red line.

People desperately trying to collect bags of flour have been shot at by Israeli forces. People have been penned in, in dangerous and degrading conditions, just to try to get something to eat. Killing the hungry is a red line.

Children have been targeted and killed by Israeli bombing in Gaza. We have all seen the horrific injuries young children have sustained. Targeting children is a red line.

Humanitarian workers have been blocked from delivering life-saving aid to people in Gaza.  They have also been killed in deadly attacks on marked humanitarian vehicles. Killing aid workers is a red line.

These aren’t just violations of law. They are violations of our shared humanity, of the basic principles we must uphold. Disregarding international humanitarian and human rights laws and norms is a red line.

Join the Red Line

Adding your voice to the Red Line Cymru campaign is simple — and powerful.

🟥 Draw a red line:

🟥 Get a poster: Visit your nearest Oxfam shop in Wales to pick up a Red Line Cymru poster — or download one from our website to print at home.

🟥 Share your message: Snap a photo of your red line display and post it on social media. Use #RedLineCymru and tag Oxfam Cymru tohelp us spread the message far and wide.

🟥 Join the mosaic: Raise your hand for Gaza by adding your photo to our growing Oxfam Red Line mosaic — a digital wall of solidarity.

🟥 Pass on the message: urge your friends and family to draw their red line too. Together, these small acts create one bold message making our voices impossible to ignore.

Wales is watching. Wales is speaking. And Wales is drawing the red line.

Every voice matters

 In the face of such horror, it is easy to feel powerless. To wonder whether our small actions, here in Wales, can possibly make a difference amid the roar of global politics.

But history tells us otherwise.

The Welsh women who sent their peace petition across the Atlantic believed their voices mattered — and they were right. When we act together, we are heard.

Oxfam Cymru will continue to call on the Welsh Government to reflect the will of the people — to demand an immediate end to all arms sales where there is a risk of those weapons being used in this conflict. To take forward the message of peace and justice being broadcast by you, the people of Wales. To be our loudhailer on the global stage, amplifying the voice of our nation and delivering on the obligations and goals we have set ourselves in our own laws.

Let us honour our legacy, and our law, by showing that Wales does not look away.

We do not stay silent in the face of injustice.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with those whose human rights are being stripped away from them.

We carry forward the voices of those who came before us.

Wales speaks. Wales acts. Wales draws the red line — bold, visible, and unshakable And we expect our leaders to do the same.