Over 1,000 dead Palestinians in Gaza: Write to the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and MPs and demand an end to this
Over 1,000 Palestinians are now dead - the figure now stands at 1,065. 226 of the casualties are children. 75 per cent are civilian casualties. 47 Israelis have been killed – 44 soliders and 3 civilians. 6,233 Palestinians have been wounded, 1,949 of which are children. 194,000 children in Gaza are also in need of psychosocial support. 215,000 people are sheltering in UNRWA, government schools and informal shelters. 22 hospitals, clinics, and medical centres have been hit and damaged by shelling. 133 schools have also been damaged by shelling, including 84 run by UNRWA.
Here are 5 things Caabu is calling for, and that you can demand the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and MPs to call for:
Ceasefire - The government needs to take all the diplomatic measures to halt the assault on Gaza that Israel launched on 8 July 2014. It is absolutely crucial that all sides agree to a ceasefire, to put an end to the bombing and fighting, and alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. No ceasefire is achievable in the long-term without an end to the blockade.
Lifting of the blockade- The blockade of Gaza, by both Israel and Egypt, is unsustainable. The people of Gaza should be allowed to travel and trade freely. The situation for Palestinians will drastically improve if they are given access to economic potential and prosperity.
Independent international investigation - It is vital that all those on both sides who have violated international law are held to account, and that the British government demands this accountability. All investigations into violations of international law need to be independent. Investigations carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces are simply not enough, and the British government needs to insist that thorough independent international investigations are carried out.
Ban on settlement trade- Settlements remain a hindrance to peace, and illegal under international law. Regardless of the situation in Gaza, settlement goods should not be allowed into the EU. These entities are illegal and therefore so are the products and services they provide. By trading with them the EU supports their economy and expansion. See Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements, a report which Caabu was a signatory on.
Full arms embargo on Israel– Britain continues to sell arms to Israel despite its assault on Gaza. Last year, the UK awarded £10million worth of military licenses to Israel. Over five years, the figure is £50million. In 2009, the then Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that British arms were “almost certainly” used in the 2008-09 invasion of Gaza, Operation Cast Lead. Over five years on, as Israel continues its assault on Gaza, Britain maintains lucrative military export licenses with Israel.
Already, many of Caabu’s members, supporters and friends have written to their MPs, urging them to push the government on Gaza. Thank you for this. Caabu is now urging our supporters and friends to write to the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, as well as continue to write to MPs. Here is a letter that Lawyers for Palestinian Rights sent to the Foreign Secretary.
You can contact your MP by email or letter. Details on how to do so can be found here.
You can write to the Prime Minister here:
Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
You can email through this contact form.
The address for the Foreign Secretary is as follows:
Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP
Foreign Secretary
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
Westminster
London
SW1A 2AH
Email:[email protected]
More on Caabu’s work about the latest escalation in Israel-Palestine can be found here. You can also read our extensive briefing on the situation in Gaza here.
You can keep track of Caabu's work by following @Caabu on Twitter or by 'Liking' our Facebook page. Please do forward this email on to friends, colleagues, family members or anyone else who thinks this is important. Get in touch with Joseph Willits ([email protected]) for more information on our vital work on Palestine.
Find out how to get involved with Caabu here. Thank you for your continued support.
