PSC update: Urgent Action - Winter Crisis in Gaza

Please take urgent action for Gaza – we need to increase political pressure

In Gaza, 1.8 million Palestinians are being pushed even further into a humanitarian crisis. The terrible winter weather, combined with the ongoing siege and the constant attacks by the Israeli army, with the harshest phase of this winter, is killing Palestinians. Children and the elderly are most at risk.

 

Please email/write/phone your MP now and ask them to write to David Cameron urgently on your behalf to raise the following points:

 ·         Six months since the start of the Gaza war, which resulted in massive destruction and hardship, but the UK government appears not to be taking any steps to bring the blockade of Gaza to a complete and immediate end. Palestinians are dying as a result.

·         Israel and the UK must both uphold UN Security Council Resolution 1860 on Gaza access which obliges Israel to open Gaza’s port, and facilitate free movement of goods and people between Gaza and the West Bank, and obliges the UK governments to provide arrangements and guarantees to bring this about. The UK is failing to do this, let alone step in and help negotiate a ceasefire and access agreement before another war starts. The UK is quick to act when other countries breach UN Security Council resolutions on humanitarian access, but on Gaza it has failed to go to the Security Council.  

·         Palestinians in Gaza remain homeless, struggle to find access to clean water, are jobless and farmers and fishing boats are regularly being shot at by Israeli government to go about their trade.  Over 700,000 truckloads of construction materials are needed to rebuild the homes and schools the population need but only a few hundred truckloads were allowed over the past six months.   The blockade is not about security. Israel demolished the Karni crossing which used sophisticated x-ray technology with a capacity to allow nearly a thousand truckloads of goods every day to transit Gaza. Why should Palestinians wait decades to rebuild their homes?   

·         MPs and the UK government received more correspondence on the Gaza than any other international issue, and MPs have been very vocal, yet ministers have been silent on Gaza for months and I cannot find any information about UK efforts to end the blockade.  

Urge the PM to take the following urgent steps:

-           urgently act to end Israel’s blockade 

-           support genuine Palestinian reconciliation and not condition the delivery of assistance on political actions ensuring aid reaches all civilians in need without discrimination.  

-           end all arms trade with Israel

-           seek compensation from Israel for damage they have caused to UK and EU funded aid projects

To find your MP's contact details: www.writetothem.com

Please let us know their response – many thanks!