PEOPLE are suffering and dying in Gaza while UK politics descends into “complete chaos”, Christian Aid warned MPs after a Commons debate on calls for a Israel-Hamas ceasefire took an unexpected activate Wednesday.
Before the session, the help agency had told MPs to “put aside politics” and picture it were their circle of relatives “trapped in Gaza facing injury or death”.
SNP and Conservative MPs walked out of the Chamber on Wednesday, nevertheless, after the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, broke with convention to permit a vote on a Labour motion calling for “a direct humanitarian ceasefire”. This amendment to the unique SNP’s “immediate ceasefire” motion was passed with shouts of “aye” — and not using a formal vote — after the Government refused to participate, in protest.
This meant that there was no vote on the SNP motion, which also called for an end to the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”. In November, only 56 Labour MPs had backed the SNP’s calls. Labour’s amendment argued that Israel “can’t be expected to stop fighting if Hamas continues with violence” and called for a diplomatic process to deliver “a secure and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state”.
Sir Lindsay, a former Labour MP, apologised for his decision, saying that he had thought that he was doing “the correct thing and one of the best thing, and I regret it, and I apologise for the way it’s ended up.” But greater than 50 MPs — SNPs and Conservatives – have since signed a motion of no confidence in him.
The Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt, said that Sir Lindsay had “undermined the boldness” of the House by allowing the controversy to be “hijacked” by Labour.
Responding to the events on Wednesday night, Christian Aid’s head of UK advocacy and campaigns, Jennifer Larbie, said: “What we witnessed within the House of Commons this evening was complete chaos. Every minute spent pontificating on points of order, Palestinians were being killed.
“Our colleague Nour, a lawyer with our partner organisation, was killed in an air strike in Rafah yesterday, together with seven members of her family, including her two-year-old daughter.
“History will judge us all for what we did within the face of the slaughter and brutality in Gaza. Ultimately, the suffering won’t end until we’ve a direct and everlasting ceasefire.”
The consequence of the Labour vote, nevertheless, was welcomed by CAFOD. The agency’s representative for the Middle East, Elizabeth Funnell, said: “We are pleased that Parliament this evening passed the motion calling for a direct humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, because a direct and everlasting ceasefire is the one technique to ensure the discharge of all hostages, to be certain the massive amount of humanitarian aid that is required could make its way into Gaza, and to guard all civilians. As Pope Francis tells us, arms alone won’t ever achieve the peace that Israelis and Palestinians deserve.
“At a time when tens of 1000’s of kids have already been killed, we’d like our political leaders to step up and show real leadership and support an enduring peace.”
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were gathered in Parliament Square throughout the debate.
“Mass casualties” warning. The UN’s Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which coordinates the heads of UN humanitarian entities and NGOs, released a press release on Wednesday calling on world leaders to assist to forestall further deterioration of the crisis in Gaza.
“Diseases are rampant. Famine is looming. Water is at a trickle. Basic infrastructure has been decimated. Food production has come to a halt. Hospitals have was battlefields. One million children face day by day traumas,” the statement says.
The situation was particularly dire in Rafah, the IASC reported. “Further escalation of violence on this densely populated area would cause mass casualties. It could also deal a death blow to a humanitarian response that’s already on its knees.”
