UK-based NGOs call for 'immediate cease-fire,' lifting siege on Gaza

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A group of British-based charities on Friday issued a joint statement calling for an "immediate cease-fire" due to the "catastrophic humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.

Humanitarian, development, human rights, and faith-based charities including Medical Aid for Palestinians and Islamic Relief UK said that they are united in issuing an urgent call to the government to support an immediate cease-fire, unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, and lifting the siege of Gaza.

"We write with alarm at the current catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an emergency of unparalleled proportions in Palestine," said the statement, saying Israel's relentless bombardment from land, sea, and air has left nowhere safe.

The groups decried indiscriminate attacks targeting places that are supposed to be off-limits such as hospitals, schools, universities, and places of worship, saying such attacks have decimated Gaza’s "fragile civilian infrastructure."

"Emergency services are in the midst of collapse, overwhelmed by the magnitude of devastation, and deprived of the fuel and essential supplies required to function," they stressed, adding that Israel’s recent permission for a trickle of aid trucks to enter Gaza is not even close to meet the mounting need.

The UK has a "legal obligation" to respect and ensure respect for the rules governing armed conflict.

"While these actions alone are well beneath the minimum obligations the UK owes to the Palestinian people and the requirements for genuine peace and justice, they are nevertheless a crucial and urgent first step," the statement added.

The conflict in Gaza began on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood – a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine, and fuel, and aid convoys recently allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.

Nearly 8,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,326 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Some 70% of the deaths in Gaza are women and children, according to official figures.