British Palestinians urge action from Government as relatives starve in Gaza

Independent

a day ago

British Palestinians with starving family members in Gaza are urging the Government to take tougher action on Israel.
At a press conference in London on Thursday, the group called on the Government to put more pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory.
The group is asking the Government to drop the 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations and impose comprehensive economic and diplomatic sanctions on Israel.
It also wants the UK to cease all forms of military co-operation with Israel and impose a full two-way arms embargo.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since March.
On Wednesday, an Israeli and US-backed group paused food delivery at its three distribution sites in the Gaza Strip after health officials said dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near the sites this week.
Israel's military said it fired near people it described as suspects who it said approached its forces and ignored warning shots.
It says it is looking into reports of casualties and blamed Hamas for civilian deaths because the militant group is entrenched in populated areas.
Wafaa Shamallakh, 38, an Arabic interpreter who works for Kingston Council and whose siblings are in south Gaza, described the danger they have faced trying to access aid.
'When they go to what they call distribution points, it's very hard,' Ms Shamallakh told the PA news agency.
'There are hundreds of thousands of people gathering in a big crowd.
'The Israeli army, they don't leave them alone just to collect what they want.
'I have a relative who got injured because they were firing on the ground and he got shrapnel in his shoulder. He was lucky to survive.
'They also throw smoke bombs on people, so they make it very hard to see.'
Ms Shamallakh, who says she has stayed in close contact with her family over the last 18 months, described their daily struggle for survival.
Her brother and sister, who have had to relocate several times since the war started, have returned to their neighbourhood in south Gaza which has been reduced to rubble.
'They live in tents with no insulation, no electricity, no water,' she said.
'They have to cook their food and bread on fire.
'They have to in the morning go search for wood which is very difficult to find.
'They often have to take a very deadly journey to search in bombed buildings.'
Ms Shamallakh said her siblings and nieces and nephews have lost a significant amount of weight.
She said: 'My brother and sister have to divide a piece of bread with their children so everyone can have a little taste of bread.
'They have to make lentil soup, and in the morning and in the evening at dinner time they have to eat the same thing.
'If they are lucky enough they can have a can of beans or something or they mix a little pasta to make a meal different from just lentil soup.'
'The moment of relief for my sister was when her husband came back after trying to go to aid distribution points, and he came back alive,' said Ms Shamallakh.
'He came back with nothing, but at least he was alive.
'This is the situation of all the Gazans, not only my family.'
Ali Mousa, 30, who lives in Manchester, fears for his sister Hind, who is a teacher in Gaza.
'The last 18 months have been really horrible. Lots of worries, lots of tears and just feeling scared all of the time,' Mr Mousa said.
'We lost contact and we couldn't reach her while she's in Gaza, and now they are experiencing starvation.
'The huge challenge now is that we feel really helpless. While my sister is going through all of this horrific experience, we can't really help her that much.'
'I feel that she could be killed anytime. She could be starved.
'I want her to survive this. I want her to be in a safe place. I don't want to lose her.'
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told reporters aid needs to reach the people of Gaza 'at speed and at volume', describing the current situation as 'utterly intolerable'.
'In relation to what's happening in Gaza, we've been absolutely clear that it is intolerable and we need to get back to a ceasefire urgently, and that is our constant work with other allies to get us to that position,' he said.
'We need those hostages to come out, many of them have been held for a very long time.
'Of course, humanitarian aid needs to get in at speed and at volume, but that can only happen if we get back to a ceasefire, so I'm absolutely clear that the situation as it is is utterly intolerable, and that's why we've taken measures like the trading talks have been stood down, the sanctions we've put in and we're working with allies to see what else we can do.'