HISTORY IS WATCHING

What is happening in Gaza is a human catastrophe – unfolding in front of our very eyes. 

Although full scale conflict has ended, innocents continue to lose their lives in sporadic attacks. The illegal settlement of the West Bank has continued at pace, hand in hand with daily attacks on Palestinian livelihoods and freedom of movement. And Aid into the strip remains subject to administrative delay and bureaucratic obstruction.  

Delivery mechanisms for aid remains highly restrictive. 

The horrific acts of terror by Hamas on October 7th 2023 were abhorrent and must be utterly condemned. The hostages must be released and those responsible held to justice.  

However, the response of the Israeli Government has been disproportionate, cruel and has collectively punished the people of Gaza. The rules of war have not been followed, and the innocent people caught in the crossfire have suffered horrendously.  

We call on the UK Government to take the following concrete actions to end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine:

• Adopt and implement legislation prohibiting trade, services, and investment linked to illegal Israeli settlements, and suspend the UK–Israel Trade Agreement.
• Immediately suspend all arms sales to Israel until it ends its illegal occupation and other grave violations of international law.
• Impose far-reaching sanctions on those Israeli Ministers and Members of the Knesset who actively oppose the creation of a sovereign Palestinian State, which the UK Government has officially recognised.
• Ensure cooperation with international accountability mechanisms by:
  
  - Releasing the long-awaited response to the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024;
  
  - Upholding and supporting the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants of 21 November 2024;
  
  - Using the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 to prosecute perpetrators of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions committed in Palestine, as required by the UK’s international and domestic legal obligations.