Correspondence with our MP, John Glen, regarding a ceasefire in Gaza

Posted: 13th December 2023

You can form your own opinion of how satisfactory this answer to my concerns is.  I certainly have!

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your email – I am grateful to you for taking the time to write and share your concerns with me for civilian lives in Israel and Gaza, as the conflict continues. The world mourns the loss of all civilian life from a war stoked by the appalling violence we have seen from Hamas, an internationally recognised terrorist organisation, also recognised in UK law – which has murdered and kidnapped innocent Israelis and put the lives of innocent Palestinians at risk.

Innocent life is equally valuable, everywhere – and justice under the rule of law is for all.

I recognise how important it is that any action is well within the international rule of law and the rules of engagement and our combined diplomatic effort in the region is highlighting this requirement, which is enshrined in international law. 

It is important to recognise that Hamas has often used civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and homes as bases for operations, weapons storage, and launching projectiles.

The UK has a long record of providing aid to the Palestinian territories, and in light of these events, the Prime Minister initially confirmed we will be increasing aid to the Palestinian territories by a third with £10 million – however, the Government went further to announce an extra £20 million of additional humanitarian support. Now, the Foreign Secretary has announced an additional £30 million, taking the total additional aid is £60 million.

I am pleased that because of our multilateral diplomatic pursuit, we have been able to open the Rafah Crossing to allow foreign nationals to leave Gaza, and to allow essential humanitarian aid into Gaza. The fourth UK aircraft carrying 23 tonnes of humanitarian aid had landed in Egypt for transfer to Gaza. 

I also welcome that a number of humanitarian pauses have been agreed to support this transfer of aid, and so Israeli hostages can be released.

The Prime Minister has visited Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt – to meet with their leaders to discuss how best we can support the opening and maintenance of route for humanitarian aid into the Palestinian Territories, as well as safe routes to refuge. However, it is essential to ensure that this aid does not fall into the hands of Hamas. The Prime Minister also met with the King of Jordan to discuss these same issues.

It is clear that the Palestinian people are also victims of Hamas and we must do all we can to prevent further loss of civilian life.

The mission of the Government remains to prevent further escalation and to bring peace and stability to the region.

However, the reality is that Hamas have no interest in a resolution, they have never attempted to engage in a two-state solution and have made every attempt to collapse the Oslo process. Indeed, a ceasefire would not guarantee that Hamas would put down their arms, but provide them with more time to regroup and launch further attacks, which they have repeatedly said they would do. That is not to say that there must not be safe routes for humanitarian aid – which there must be, and which the UK Government is working quickly to facilitate with world partners. I must reiterate that Israel has the right to take action to defend itself and to recover its hostages, and the UK, while respecting that, will always encourage it to adhere to international law and protect civilians. 

Thank you very much.

Very best, 

John  

Dear John Glen,

I am writing to you as a constituent to ask you to call on the UK Foreign Secretary to take urgent action to prevent atrocities in Gaza and demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment and siege is making it impossible to sustain human life in Gaza. Since the temporary truce ended, Israel’s military assault on Gaza has intensified, killing many hundreds of civilians and injuring thousands more.

Almost all of Gaza’s population are now displaced from their homes. Families forced to flee multiples times are staying in overcrowded shelters or in the streets as winter worsens. Insecurity, lack of fuel, and attacks on humanitarian workers are making it impossible to deliver and distribute aid at sufficient scale to save lives.

Gaza’s health system is being systematically dismantled by military action and siege. Most hospitals and clinics are no longer functioning and those that remain are operating far beyond capacity, as a public health catastrophe of starvation, thirst and infectious disease looms.

People now live in constant fear of death. As Israel’s ground invasion expands in the south, where the population has nearly doubled with those who fled the north, it threatens more lives and irreversible destruction. An aid worker with Medical Aid for Palestinians has said: “There is no such thing as a ‘safe place.’ Nothing is left of our safety or dignity – that’s the actual war we are facing.” 

UN human rights experts now warn of a “genocide in the making” if world leaders fail to act and achieve an immediate ceasefire. 

Meanwhile in the West Bank, more Palestinians killed by soldiers and settlers since 7 October than in any year since 2005. Entire communities have been forcibly displaced from their land, and many settlers are openly calling for ethnic cleansing.

We cannot allow these horrors to continue. We must have a permanent ceasefire now and the UK must uphold its Responsibility to Protect civilians from atrocities, before it is too late. 
I therefore ask that you write urgently to Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and call on the UK Government to immediately:

• Take swift and urgent action to establish a permanent ceasefire in Gaza

• Urgently press Israel to lift its ‘total closure’ of Gaza, reopen its crossings, and allow the safe and unimpeded movement of aid (including fuel, food and medical supplies) and aid workers, medical personnel and sick and wounded people

• Oppose any action to coerce or forcibly transfer the population out of Gaza, and demand that Israel ensures the protection of Palestinian civilians wherever they are and guarantee that displaced people will be able to return to and rebuild their homes

• Demand that all parties comply with international humanitarian law, and ensure there are meaningful consequences for indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilians and essential infrastructure, including healthcare personnel and facilities, and accountability for perpetrators through independent mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court

• Massively upscale UK aid response to the humanitarian crisis, and mobilise UK Emergency Medical Teams to support relief efforts in Gaza, while not absolving Israel of its humanitarian duties as an occupying power.

I also ask that you raise these issues with your party leadership, and urge them to articulate a clear vision for protecting Palestinians from atrocities, achieving a ceasefire, and enabling sufficient aid and commercial imports into Gaza to save lives and rebuild homes and infrastructure. 

I hope you will take swift action to address these issues and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Peter Gloyns
North Ln, Salisbury SP5, UK