Over 30,000 Palestinian People Were Killed by Israeli Forces Since Last October, and We Can’t Overlook the UK’s Complicity

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“As the war in Gaza approaches its half-year mark, the UK cannot hide its immorality any longer. It is complicit in the murder of every single Palestinian, of every child killed by Israel’s brutal forces.” 

On Wednesday, lawmakers stormed out of parliament with tensions rising to an all-time high among Britain’s three major political parties, after they attempted to outmanoeuvre each other over a vote on a Gaza ceasefire. That day was aptly called “the day British democracy failed” by The Guardian. Britain as a democracy is not only failing us voters, it’s also failing the thousands of Palestinians trapped under Israeli bombs, and it should be ashamed of itself.

This week’s uproar in parliament stemmed from Speaker Lindsay Hoyle's decision to allow a vote, breaking precedent, that would aid Labour in avoiding a rebellion over their stance on the “Israel-Hamas war”, the British mainstream media’s name for Israel’s mass ethnic cleansing in Palestine. Lawmakers protested, and some even attempted private proceedings, which rarely happens. Even though Hoyle apologised, using concerns over lawmakers' security as an excuse for this chaos, these actions ultimately lead us to a constitutional crisis while the clock continues to desperately tick for Palestinians. As I write these words, every single child in Gaza is forced to starve by the Israeli regime.

"It's disgraceful, it's very disgraceful. Today we have seen British politics at its worst. Politicians are trying to save themselves, rather than saving an entire nation," said Hasam Zumlot, the Palestinian Ambassador to Britain on LBC radio after the parliament disaster. Truer words were never spoken. In fact, there are not enough words to describe just how horrific life has been for Palestinian people since bombs started raining on them in October 2023 - a life that was already under Israel’s cruel system of apartheid - and how badly they have been failed by our governments. 

Human rights organisations have been shouting to the void about Israel’s crimes of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians for years, and as we helplessly watch the Palestinian crisis deepen day after day, Britain’s leaders continue to use cheap tricks to avoid voting for a ceasefire in Gaza. A war on children doesn’t seem reason enough to hold off political shenanigans for a day. As the war in Gaza approaches its half-year mark, the UK cannot hide its immorality any longer. It is complicit in the murder of every single Palestinian, of every child killed by Israel’s brutal forces.

But don’t let the government looking the other way fool you. People want a ceasefire, and we won’t stop asking for it. In February 2024, YouGov reported that the British public desire for Israel to stop its war on Gaza and call a ceasefire now stands at 66% (up from 59% in November 2023).

In January, Save The Children International stated that 10,000 children had been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in those first 100 days of war. This, as well as the total death toll of Palestinians since the war started, is likely to be incomplete. Gaza’s health ministry is simply struggling to keep track, and thousands of lost lives remain unaccounted for. 

With starvation looming over the remaining children of Gaza, the same children already battling Israel’s vicious attacks, displacement and homelessness, infectious diseases, life-long war trauma, wounds and disabilities, and losing their family members one by one, who knows what the next official numbers will look like? Who knows when the UK will actually grow a spine and fight for their lives?

Yesterday, more than 100 Palestinian people were shot dead by Israeli forces as they were waiting for a food aid delivery. The UN has called for an investigation into what Sky News shamelessly referred to as an "incident". But what efficacy or impact can we expect from an organisation whose security council cannot pass a ceasefire resolution? If called again for a vote to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, Britain could still choose to abstain. And it probably would, by looking at its current state of disarray. The UN has no authority over cowardly governments, but citizens of democracies like the UK or the US should not give up on demanding them to bring peace to Gaza. Only then can there be a glimmer of hope for a ceasefire.

Palestinian children are currently roaming the streets trying to sell what they can to survive, banging on empty plates with their spoons and screaming for help. My heart cannot accept that the world will let them starve, but my head knows it will if we stop pressuring our governments. We must unite and demand that this country votes for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Our actions may seem small, but we need to keep showing up to protests, and writing to our MPs until they give in. We must boycott the companies and banks funding this war, and ask MPs to vote against the government’s dangerous anti-boycott bill.

We cannot stay silent, or inactive. Most of Britain’s people are on the Palestinian side, and if our political parties cannot align on the question of right and wrong, we must hold up the mirror that shows them their sins. If they do not have a conscience, we must be the voice that shouts it loudly on their doorstep.

British democracy will fully fail if we don’t exercise our right to be angry, to march, and to demand justice for Palestinians. We can donate to emergency funds for the people and children of Gaza, and the NGOs on the ground, or share those links on social media if we can’t afford a donation. On the same social media, we can address our leaders and shame them. They will eventually listen to us, because they need our support for their ambitions and agendas. Popularity is too sweet a taste. We cannot bend to the threat of cancellation over our solidarity for the people of Palestine. With more urgency than ever, we must be relentless, and with a clear goal: a ceasefire, and a free Palestine. 

Image credit: Alisdare Hickson on Flickr