UK prime minister Keir Starmer has been urged to recall parliament and “impose immediate sanctions” on Israel in a letter from political leaders in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The signatories included the North’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, SDLP leader Claire Hanna and her party’s leader in the Assembly, Matthew O’Toole, as well as Alliance leader Naomi Long and People Before Profit leader Gerry Carroll.
The letter, seen by The Irish Times, expresses the leaders’ “deep concern and opposition” to the British government’s “ongoing support for the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza.”
They have called on Mr Starmer to “act now” to support a ceasefire and efforts towards a longer-term peace, saying “every day of delay means more children starve, more families are torn apart, and more lives are lost. The UK cannot be complicit in prolonging this tragedy.”
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Mr Starmer has said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel makes “substantive” changes in its position towards Gaza, but the politicians said that given the “urgency of the crisis, this is far too late.”
They have asked the UK government to “immediately end all arms sales to Israel”, back “independent, international investigations into alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide in Gaza” and use Britain’s diplomatic influence to “to press for the unimpeded delivery of food, water, medicine and humanitarian aid.”
Written by the SDLP, the correspondence was signed by MPs from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as members of the Northern Assembly, the Scottish parliament and Senedd Cymru, the Welsh parliament.
Other signatories included the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, and representatives from the Scottish Greens and Scottish Liberal Democrats, as well as the leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Ms Hanna said the situation in Gaza was “deteriorating, with more people dying every day” and they did not “have the luxury of waiting any longer for the UK government to act.
“We are demanding the immediate recall of parliament and an intervention that sends a clear message to the Israeli government that this cannot continue,” she said.
“The prime minister must make it clear to Netanyahu that the UK will no longer stand by while he carries out genocide against the people of Gaza.”
Separately, Northern Ireland is to be included in a UK scheme to treat seriously ill and injured children from Gaza.
The first small group is expected to arrive in Britain within weeks. However, it is not yet clear when any children may arrive in Northern Ireland.
