We believe that the newly elected Labour government should take a different stance from the previous administration by standing up to the actions of the Israeli government, which have been deemed genocidal by the United Nations.

We do not in any way defend the Hamas-led atrocities committed on October 7th 2023, but the conflict did not begin then.

The establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 impacted severely on the Palestinian people, who have had to endure decades of oppression, pain and suffering at the hands of successive Israeli governments.

Now the Hamas attack on Israel has produced an Israeli reaction that is a new catastrophe both in Gaza and the West Bank.

Its scale increases by the day.

Worse may be imminent.

Separated from their flattened homes in temporary camps, the Gazan Palestinians are particularly vulnerable to ethnic cleansing which is a flagrant violation of international law.

Israel is already demanding the total evacuation of the northern part of the strip (The General’s Plan).

This same process is being repeated in Lebanon.

A different approach is required.

Global leaders should not stand by as the Netanyahu government commits genocide and ethnic cleansing in the Palestine areas it occupies.

The UK government is a significant international player but its virtual acquiescence with the Israeli government's actions has been shameful.

So, we ask: when will the UK government stand up for international law, join forces with its neighbours in France, Italy, Spain and Ireland and call for an end to all arms sales to Israel when it uses them to violate that law?

What is our government doing to work alongside other nations to bring about de-escalation of the widening conflict?

It took some time for Labour to clarify its position on the conflict, which had simply justified Israel’s actions on the grounds that it needed to defend itself.

It needs to go further and not appear to be complicit with the Israeli government’s failure to adhere to its obligations under international law.

We, as UK citizens, cannot continue to remain silent whilst millions of civilians remain in constant danger and unimaginable distress.

We urge readers to write to our constituency MP, David Reed, asking him to support a motion which is being brought before the House of Commons shortly by a Labour MP, Richard Burgeon, calling for our government to adhere to its obligations under international law.

The signatories of this letter are all members of East Devon Justice for Palestine and all constituents of the Exmouth and Exeter East parliamentary constituency.

Jean Hughes, Patrick Hamilton, Gillian Hamilton, Celia Adams, Helen Lester, Jan Sawicki, Mike French, Keith Edwards, Bay Leahy, Anya Darr, Judith Beer.