Today I presented a petition to Parliament urging the Government to support an immediate and sustainable ceasefire.

A ceasefire is desperately in Gaza following the four months of horrific violence and bloodshed. In Parliament, I highlighted the need to stop the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from worsening, and condemned the actions of the Israeli army in the relentless bombing of public infrastructure and the targeting of journalists. I also stressed the need for the immediate release of all remaining Israeli hostages 

The horrifying death toll in Gaza is heart wrenching. According to data from Oxfam, there has been an average of 250.8 deaths every single day between the 7th of October and the 7th of January 2024. The violence has not only been contained in Gaza. In the West Bank, where Hamas do not operate, 330 Palestinians have ben killed by Israeli forces since October. Oxfam has declared the ongoing violence in Gaza as the deadliest conflict compared to all recent major armed conflict. 

A ceasefire is imperative to ensure peace. A two-state solution is desperately needed to end the ongoing cycle of violence and to ensure the statehood that Palestine deserves. The international community is in full support of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. However, only the UN Security Council has the legal right to mandate action. The veto of the United States, which is a permanent member, has halted this so far.

The Conservative Government is not showing the strength of British diplomatic relations which pressure the Israeli Government to bring an immediate end to the violence. Whilst the Prime Minister has stated his support for a two-state solution, he has so far taken no action to push for this. 

As a Member of Parliament, I will use every parliamentary mechanism available to me to urge the UK Government to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This is the very least Palestinians deserve.

You can watch me presenting my petition here, or read the transcript here