“Preventing the deaths of any more civilians must be our top priority.”
Richard Burgon MP
By our correspondent
Richard Burgon MP has confirmed that he will re-submit his parliamentary motion calling for a ceasefire when the House of Commons returns on Tuesday for the King’s Speech.
Days before Parliament returns, over 90 MPs from 8 parties have already agreed to back the resubmitted Early Day Motion “Protecting civilians in Gaza and Israel”. More are expected to do so in the coming days and once parliament returns.
The motion will use exactly the same wording (below) as the parliamentary motion tabled by Burgon, also backed by over 90 MPs, which fell when the parliamentary session ended on 26 October.
Richard Burgon MP said, “Over 10,000 people in Gaza and Israel have already lost their lives in the last month alone.
“Preventing the deaths of any more civilians must be our top priority.
“Our Government must now use every diplomatic avenue possible and talk to governments of all persuasions to secure a negotiated ceasefire – one binding on all parties – that can bring an end to this crisis.”
The title and text of the EDM read as follows. Protecting civilians in Gaza and Israel: “This House utterly condemns the massacre of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages by Hamas; agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General that these horrific acts do not justify responding with the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; expresses its deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of Gaza and the resulting deaths and suffering; believes that the urgent priority must be to stop the deaths and suffering of any more civilians in Gaza and Israel; welcomes the joint statement from 12 leading aid agencies, including Oxfam, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Medical Aid for Palestinians and Islamic Relief, calling for the Government to use its influence to help protect civilians, to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law and to guarantee civilians have access to critical life-saving humanitarian support; and to this end supports their call for the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to urgently press all parties to agree to an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities, to ensure the immediate, unconditional release of the Israeli hostages, to end to the total siege of Gaza and allow for unfettered access of medical supplies, food, fuel electricity and water, to guarantee that international humanitarian law is upheld and that civilians are protected in accordance with those laws.”
- Richard Burgon is the MP for Leeds East and the Secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Starmer is doing yet more harm to the Labour Party by his feeble response. I’m not surprised but I AM disgusted. Not only over his response to the situation in Gaza: NOW more than ever we need a competent socialist Party to vote for in the GE… with a strong socialist Leader, and a strong Cabinet. The lack of democracy under Starmer has been disgusting to witness. That is what he will be remembered for (if remembered at all).