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UN Gaza ceasefire call must result in action

All governments must push for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

The UK must end all political and military support for the genocide being inflicted on the people of Gaza, say the Scottish Greens.

This afternoon the UN Security Council voted to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages by 14 to 1, with the US abstaining and every other government, including the UK, backing the motion.

Scottish Greens co-leader, Patrick Harvie MSP, said: “The genocide being inflicted on Gaza is one of the worst crimes of this century. Tens of thousands of innocent people have already been killed and many more are at risk of famine.

“This vote is an important step forward. The fact that not even the US voted against it is a sign of how desperate the situation is. 

“But words are the easy part, and this must be followed by action. That means countries like the US and the UK ending their political and military support for the Israeli government, with an immediate halt to all arms sales and ensuring that aid is getting in and reaching people who need it.

“In years to come people will look at the horrors that have taken place and ask why leaders allowed it for so long. That goes for leaders like Rishi Sunak, who has been almost uncritical in his support for the Israeli military, but also for those like Sir Keir Starmer who have seen what is happening and chosen to look the other way.

“The last six months have been a brutal collective punishment. We cannot undo the awful damage, but there is a responsibility on every government to ensure that they are doing everything they can to end the suffering and their complicity in it.”