Recall Parliament to debate Netanyahu's Gaza plan, Green MP urges
Mr Netanyahu's office has unveiled new principles for military action which include 'the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip', 'Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip' and 'the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority'.
The Israel Defence Forces 'will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones'.
More than 61,000 people have been killed during Israeli military action in Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, in a conflict which began after a Hamas-led attack killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7 2023.
Among the count are at least 13 people killed in southern Gaza on Thursday as they sought aid in an Israeli military zone.
'Netanyahu's brutal plan to take control of Gaza is yet another declaration of intent to commit war crimes and will lead to untold catastrophic civilian suffering,' Ms Chowns said.
'The UK must do far more than simply express disapproval.
'We need to recall Parliament immediately to hold the UK Government to account, to urgently assess whether we are meeting our obligations under the Genocide Convention and to enact immediate measures — including sanctions on the Israeli cabinet and suspension of all military co-operation and arms sales — to prevent further atrocities.
'The consequences of delay will be measured in countless innocent lives lost.'
The North Herefordshire MP also called on the Government to publish its risk assessment of genocide in Gaza or a timeline for evidence-gathering.
She also urged ministers to use diplomatic channels to press for a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza, safe release of the remaining hostages and an international inquiry into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israel.
Critics of Mr Netanyahu's plan include Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said the Israeli government risked bringing 'more bloodshed'.
He said: 'The Israeli government's decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong and we urge it to reconsider immediately.
'This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages.'
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Israel 'has the right to defend itself against Hamas's terror' and added working towards a ceasefire and release of the hostages were a 'top priority' for the government in Berlin.
But 'the even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved', he said.
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Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Protesters presented themselves as peaceniks, but ugliness lurked below the surface
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Get your hands off Moazzam, you f------ pigs!' Another protester, a wheelchair-using pensioner who travelled from Reading to display a sign reading 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' at the demonstration, told The Telegraph he was 'sure' the Government had been 'paid by the Israeli embassy' to proscribe the group. There is no evidence to support this claim. The 77-year-old man, who gave his name only as Frank, said he hoped the protest would help get Palestine Action de-proscribed. 'My aim is to show that when the law is a complete ass, you need to do something to resist it. And proscribing Palestine Action is one of the stupidest actions the Government has ever taken.' He also admitted to feeling uneasy at the prospect of being arrested. 'I've never been arrested before, I'm quite terrified to be honest. But we have to stand up to genocide, oppression, and taking away our freedom of assembly, our freedom of speech,' he said. Saturday's Palestine Action demonstration had been staged to appear organic, as if hundreds had simply converged opposite Parliament at 1pm, each with a handmade sign declaring support for the banned group. In reality, as The Telegraph has previously revealed, the event was anything but spontaneous. At a meeting in Birmingham last week, groups including Cage International and Defend Our Juries planned the protest, with Mr Begg urging the Muslim community to join in the act of defiance. 'Those from the Muslim community, we have a massive presence in this city, and we must engage our leaders, our imams, our habibs, those in positions of power, to join, there is strength in numbers, stop being a coward, cowards never win battles,' he said. The first of two pro-Palestine demonstrations in London on Saturday began around 11am, with activists co-ordinated by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War assembling at Russell Square. Protesters on this march, which set off at midday for Downing Street, appeared less eager to risk arrest under terrorism laws. While some chanted 'Intifada! Intifada, long live intifada', there were no visible signs explicitly backing Palestine Action. In the Russell Square station lift, a group of demonstrators discussed the risks of declaring support for the newly proscribed group. 'Hopefully I won't be arrested – because I've got a sign that says, 'I support Palestine Action',' one told a friend. 'But there's a twist to it though, it's got a full stop in it.' He remarked that an arrest would spoil his evening, as he planned to attend a poetry reading in support of the Palestinian cause at 7pm. For many activists participating in Saturday's demonstration, the idea of expressing support for a proscribed terror group was a new departure. But this was not universally true. Outside Russell Square Tube station, Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman, told The Telegraph he had already been charged under the Terrorism Act last year, not for supporting Palestine Action, but for allegedly supporting Hamas. Mr Novsarka, who denies all wrongdoing, said: 'I would never support a proscribed group.' 'I support the international law that every people have the right to armed resistance, especially if there's no one coming to the rescue and saving the day,' he added. Mr Novsarka said he was unable to attend the second demonstration that day, over in Parliament Square, a restriction he clearly resented, describing the Russell Square demonstration as 'dead' and 'boring'. 'The real place you want to be is Parliament Square. The only reason I am not there is because of my bail conditions. My solicitor said: 'Stay away!'' he said. Over in Parliament Square, it quickly became apparent that this was a pro-Palestine protest unlike any London has witnessed before. 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For the first dozen detentions, officers searched each protester's belongings and sealed them in plastic bags. As the afternoon wore on, this step was abandoned, with police cordoning off the main group of protesters in the middle of Parliament Square before a team of officers moved in as a unit to seize their target, often carrying them to the van as they went limp in resistance. One young man in a blue T-shirt and brown trousers went rigid as officers counted 'three, two, one' before hoisting him into the air. The Palestine Action supporter then raised aloft his sign in support of the proscribed group as he was carried off. Each arrest drew applause and cheers from fellow demonstrators, who shouted: 'Thank you for your courage! We applaud your bravery.' At the same time, they booed and jeered the police, calling 'shame!' and 'what will you tell your kids you got up to at work today?' and telling officers they were 'on the wrong side of history'. Undeterred, police pressed on, detaining at least 365 people by late afternoon. As vans carrying Palestine Action supporters pulled away, those left behind applauded. It was meant to be a demonstration of victory in the campaign to get Palestine Action de-proscribed. But police will be hoping that instead, their arrests deal a hammer blow to support for the group.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Keir Starmer's latest approval rating is out and it's not good news
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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Woman arrested during protest in Cardiff city centre
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