Please email Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to urge the UK government to play its part upholding international law and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches people in need.
We at CAFOD have been horrified by the attacks led by Hamas and deeply saddened at the sudden escalation of violence across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
As the region witnesses the deadliest days in recent history, we are praying for the thousands of people who have been killed and injured and those whose lives have been devastated.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has warned that the events of the past week are taking us further away from achieving a lasting peace. He has said: “The operation launched from Gaza and the reaction of the Israeli Army are bringing us back to the worst periods of our recent history… [and] will create more hatred and division”.
CAFOD unequivocally condemns the shocking killing and kidnapping of civilians, which are crimes under international law.
But more violence is never the answer.
We are deeply concerned by the scale of the Israeli government’s violent retaliation, which is causing more civilian deaths and injuries. Israel’s decision to stop food, water and fuel from reaching the population of Gaza, which is home to over two million people – half of whom are children – will inevitably lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
Inflicting collective punishment on the people of Gaza in this way is not only profoundly troubling, but is also illegal under international humanitarian law.
Gaza’s population is already incredibly vulnerable with over 80 per cent of people reliant on humanitarian assistance for survival – a situation so dire that the UN Secretary General had already described it as “hell on earth” before this latest escalation.
We urge all sides to end the violence and abide by international law. This means protecting civilians, releasing hostages and refraining from collective punishments.
Will you e-mail the Foreign Secretary to ask the UK plays its part in upholding international law, ensuring humanitarian aid can reach people in need, and works with other world leaders to secure a lasting peace for the region?
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