By Hannah Saunders

August 10 marks the first day of a national relay fasting campaign, Parents Fast 4 Gaza, to draw attention to Israel’s forced starvation of Palestians in Gaza that has been made possible through the help of the United States. This campaign calls for an end to the genocide, for unrestricted flow of aid, and for an arms embargo on Israel. 

“THE COLLECTIVE WILL FAST INDEFINITELY. This is a collaborative relay where each participating team sustains a week-long fast before “passing the fast” to another team across the country. Each team’s commitment is one week, and the collective will fast until our demands are met!,” Parents Fast 4 Gaza said in an Instagram post. 

Seattle Families 4 Palestine is the first team and will fast from August 10-17. There are four different fasting levels that individual team members can choose, allowing for flexibility in participation. Level 1 is the luxury fast, where people can remove all luxury foods like coffee, alcohol, sweets, processed foods, chocolate, meat or animal products, and even refuse to dine out. Parents Fast 4 Gaza recommends fasting for the entire week under this option. 

Level 2 is the daylight fast, where people hold off on eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset, and avoid “luxury” food items listed above when breaking fast. Level 3 is the 250 calorie diet. 

“In April 2024, Oxfam reported that Palestinians in Northern Gaza had been forced to survive on an average of 245 calories a day— less than a can of beans. Conditions are now much worse throughout Gaza,” according to Parents Fast 4 Gaza. 

Level 4 is the water only fast, but for those who make this commitment for a single day during the week of action, Parents Fast 4 Gaza encourages people read its health and safety resources toolkit. The collective said people seeking to become involved should be mindful of their personal health conditions and consult their medical providers. 

“85% of Gaza is now in the fifth and final stage of malnutrition. To those with power, and to those who feel powerless but know something is deeply wrong: Will you answer the call?” asked Parents Fast 4 Gaza. 

Team members can fast from one day to one week, or support this initiative by attending local protests. To sign-up, visit bit.ly/fast-signup and follow @SeaFamilies4Palestine on Instagram for more updates.