Dear resident,
Thank you for writing to me about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
I continue to be absolutely appalled by this horrific and bloody war in Gaza and was extremely saddened to see the collapse of the previous ceasefire.
I have long called for an immediate ceasefire on both sides and voted for one at every opportunity in Parliament, even when I faced abuse for doing so.
The remaining hostages in Gaza must be released. The hostages and their loved ones have suffered so much from this horrible ordeal, ever since the vile October 7th attack by the terrorists Hamas which murdered around 1,200 people. Hamas must be condemned.
I have always maintained that a ceasefire is the only way to free the hostages. I made this very point again recently in the House of Commons to a Foreign Office Minister. Watch below.
The Israeli Defense Forces have behaved in a brutal and inhumane manner during this conflict. I will never forget the horrifying and violent scenes from Gaza. I’m appalled that over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children. The true death toll will be far greater.
I have called for the end of all arms sales to Israel due to the IDF’s callous actions in Gaza. And I condemn Israel’s latest plan to ‘seize’ all of Gaza indefinitely, expand the conflict and further displace civilians. International law must be upheld. The UK can no longer make excuses for the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu.
We need an urgent ceasefire to stop the killings. I also want to see a massive increase in humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza. There can be no more excuses by Israel – people are starving, and aid is not being allowed in.
There must be a release of prisoners held without trial, and the reconstruction of Gaza is vital. And I hope the UK Government will take in more wounded and sick Palestinian children from Gaza and get them back to full health.
I now want to see a renewed push for a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state. This is the only way to bring about long-term, lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
With the true scale of these horrors still to emerge, I hope those in power around the world will learn important lessons.
Thank you again for writing to me on this very important subject. You read much more about my actions regarding this conflict on my website: https://www.dawnbutler.org.uk/israel_gaza