Monday 7 October marked a year since the heinous attacks carried out by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. It also marks the commencement of the devastating Israeli response that has killed over 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and has increased the risk to lives across the region, including those in Israel itself.
One year on and there is still no relief - Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of genocide according to the International Court of Justice, while 90% of Gazans are displaced and the population faces extreme deprivation. Over 100 hostages are still detained in dire conditions, and communities in Israel face indiscriminate rocket attacks and have been forced to leave their homes.
As we mourn the ongoing unconscionable killing, imprisonment, torture and suffering of civilians, we echo the UN Secretary-General and unequivocally condemn the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 7 October. We reiterate the message that nothing can justify those attacks, just as nothing can justify Israel’s collective punishment of Palestinian civilians. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded earlier this year that Israeli authorities and Hamas are both responsible for war crimes and other grave violations of international law.
In the weeks preceding this anniversary, the world has watched as the devastating cycle of violence has continued unabated and indeed worsened: Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Lebanon has killed over 2,000 Lebanese civilians, while Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at military targets across Israel, including Tel Aviv.
This latest escalation, and the harrowing violence of the last year, are a stark reminder that civilians will always pay the highest price as long as the machine of war is allowed to rage on. On this anniversary it is more vital than ever that parties to the conflict, and the wider international community, collectively pursue all diplomatic pathways to end the catastrophic and worsening cycle of violence.
UNA-UK reiterates and echoes calls for an immediate, combined and long-term ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon to end the indiscriminate killing of civilians and allow unhindered humanitarian access and safe passage of aid workers. Hostages in Gaza must be freed and all Palestinians unlawfully detained in Israel must be released.
In the words of António Guterres:
“It is time for the release of the hostages. Time to silence the guns. Time to stop the suffering that has engulfed the region. Time for peace, international law and justice.”
It is soberingly clear that escalating militarism begets unacceptable human suffering and has brought us to the brink of catastrophic wider conflict in the region. UNA-UK’s message today is the same as it was last year: the ongoing cycle of violence need not be inevitable.
We therefore urge the UK to move beyond rhetoric and piecemeal action by suspending all arms sales to Israel immediately, as we have been calling for over the last year. Moreover, the UK must stand up for international law and reject the cycle of impunity that fuels this ongoing devastation. While the government dropped its challenge to the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, they must go further to publicly champion and support pathways to justice and accountability via the UN, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. In particular, we urge the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to go beyond the joint UN Security Council statement and join other member states in publicly stating their support for the UN Secretary-General in light of the ongoing and recent attempts to discredit and disempower António Guterres and his Office.
The Government must signal with unwavering clarity that the path to peace in the Middle East cannot be forged through bombardments or blockades and that the root causes of this conflict must be fully addressed. We urge that the UK recognise Palestinian sovereignty and support and empower peacebuilders from Palestine and Israel, as well as UN actors, in shaping a future free from war and based on dignity and equal rights for all.
Read more:
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UNA-UK's head of policy calls on the UK to support Gaza ceasefire resolution
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UNA-UK statement calling on the UK to halt arms exports to Israel
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UNA-UK statement on the devastating violence in Gaza and Israel
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Statement in support of the UN Secretary-General from former British senior officials
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UNA-UK statement commending commitment to address the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
