Pendle Palestine Twinning Group calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backs Burnley Labour resignations

The group said it condemns the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians, and equally opposes the targeting of innocent civilians, their homes and institutions including a refugee camp in Gaza.

It is also calling for donations to Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) online at https://www.map.org.uk/ which is committed to providing health services to suffering and injured civilians in Gaza.

Dave Penney, from the group, said: “The claim that Israel and Hamas have the right to defend themselves by attacking their opponents including innocent civilians will only lead to more violence.

“There are no winners in wars. The targeting of civilians on both sides sows the seeds for future conflicts and revenge as well as creating new forms of radical violence.

“There can be no lasting peace without justice. All parties the need to address and resolve the underlying reasons for the conflict and acknowledge that Israelis and Palestinians have an equal right to live in peace in their own designated land.

“As Gandhi said: ‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’.”

Read more: Leader of Burnley Council Afrasiab Anwar and nine fellow councillors resign from Labour Party over Sir Keir Starmer's decision not to push for ceasefire in Gaza

The group added that it supports the recent actions of Burnley Labour councillors who have resigned because they believe the Government and Labour are not supporting a ceasefire to stop the massacre of civilians in Gaza.

Pendle Palestine Twinning Group also said it opposes the supplying of arms by the UK and the US Governments to Israel, and “condemns Israeli settlers, supported by their army, increasing the number of enforced evictions of Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank and occupying their lands illegally.”