Today marks one year since Hamas’ attack on innocent Israelis which saw over 1,500 Israelis and foreign nationals killed, and the subsequent massacres in Gaza by the Israeli Army. In this time, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, almost 100,000 have been injured and over 10,000 are missing. Over 11,000 children have been killed in Gaza, including 710 Palestinian newborn babies.
We have seen the hostilities expand into the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen, taking the Middle East closer to the brink of all-out war.
There remains no other solution than immediate and permanent ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel; international intervention to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; an end to the illegal occupation in the West Bank; for international humanitarian law to be upheld; and all parties to be held to account by the International Court of Justice.
The violence we are witnessing is a result of decades of international partners failing to resolve the issue of Palestinian statehood. The priority now must be to recognise the state of Palestine and to lead efforts to secure a long-lasting two-state solution.
I hope this one-year anniversary can be a catalyst for renewed efforts towards peace and stability in the region.
You can read all about my work on securing peace in Palestine and Israel here.