To Lucy Powell MP,
We are writing to you as a community group of artists, academics, musicians, professionals, activists, business owners, students and key workers of your constituency in Manchester. We gathered today at a local venue in Central Manchester to show solidarity for Palestinians, raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians and demand action from you- our local MP.
We are appalled by what is happening in Gaza. Israel’s relentless bombing campaign of the besieged Gaza Strip has already killed over 8000 Palestinians. According to Save the Children, nearly a half of the deaths reported so far are children. And as we write to you, the total number of Palestinians killed is likely to have increased - not just children, but “entire families”, communities and generations are being wiped out. How many more innocent civilian lives need to be taken before the UK government and the Labour Party demand a ceasefire?
As you will be aware, Israel has a legal responsibility - as the occupying power - to uphold international humanitarian law and to ensure all civilians in Gaza are protected. We believe what Israel is doing in Gaza does the exact opposite, and amounts to collective punishment- a war crime prohibited by treaty in both international and non-international armed conflicts, more specifically Common Article 33 of the Geneva Conventions and Article 6 of the Additional Protocol II. We also believe the order made by the Israeli government for Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate south could be considered a “forcible transfer” of people- a crime against humanity punishable by the International Criminal Court.
This is not just our position; it is also the position taken in an open letter sent by 250 British lawyers, including eminent KC’s and professors of law, to the British government this last week. It is also the position taken by the major humanitarian actors such as the UN, Amnesty international, Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders.
Therefore, we want to know:
- What steps you, and other members of the Shadow Cabinet, are taking to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure Israel upholds international humanitarian law?
- What steps you, and other members of the Shadow Cabinet, are taking to ensure the UK government demands accountability for the crimes already reported in Gaza?
- What steps you, and other members of the Shadow Cabinet, are taking to ensure the safety of Palestinians in the other occupied territories, given the increase in civilian oppression and murders?
- What steps Labour propose for protecting communities against rising Islamophobia and Anti-semitism?
Given the severity of the situation, and the scale of the humanitarian crisis, we are also asking you to use your authority as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons to write to the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, and urge him to:
- Call for an immediate ceasefire.
- Demand an end to the siege of Gaza and the safe passage of humanitarian aid in addition to the return of fuel, clean water and food.
- Increase aid to Palestine.
- Support renewed talks between Israeli and Palestinian authorities which will lead to the end of further civilian deaths in both Palestine and Israel, and an end to the occupation.
Like the thousands who marched through your constituency on Saturday, we demand your action.