The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has provoked enormous response and distress across all communities in Rochdale. Both Tony Lloyd, as Member of Parliament for Rochdale, and local Labour Councillors have received thousands of representations of concern.

The continued bombardment of civilians, innocent Palestinians, has led to over 11,000 deaths and of these over 4,000 children. We have all seen in the news the pictures of premature babies turned out of their incubators because electricity is no longer available. We have also seen dead bodies, unburied, lying around in hospitals. Electricity, food and water supplies have been cut off. This isn’t destroying Hamas, it’s destroying the capacity for innocent Palestinians to live lives that are other than awful. This on top of the weeks-long bombardment of Gaza which makes Gaza city look like an Earthquake zone. And, like an Earthquake zone, the level of deaths and injuries is impossible to imagine.

No one will forget the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel, but no one can pretend that the response of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Force can be justified, either morally or under international law. That is why we demand a ceasefire. 

From the very beginning of the conflict, Rochdale Council Leader Neil Emmott and Tony Lloyd MP, on behalf of the Labour Councillors, demanded cessation of violence amongst innocent civilians.

With that background, Tony Lloyd, Deputy Council Leader Daalat Ali and local Labour Councillors met with the Rochdale Council of Mosques to discuss our mutual concerns.

We reiterated our mutual demand for immediate ceasefire to stop the killings of innocent Palestinians, children, women and men, to allow resumption of the supplies of food, water and power, but all this as a prelude to a longer term process designed to prevent conflict and lock in peace for the medium and long term.

We are very concerned by reports of rising Islamophobic and anti-Semitic threats, abuse and assaults in the UK. We would urge anyone affected to report these crimes to GMP but we condemn any hate speech or act of hate crime of any kind.

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