© Mohammed Saber/European Press AgencyPalestinians protest near the border with Israel in the east of Gaza City on 13 April 2018.
For several weeks you have reported the killings by Israeli forces in Gaza. Each week Israel has placed troops on the security border with Gaza with the intention to shoot to kill Palestinians demonstrating. So far 35 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,500 injured with live ammunition. Instructions to shoot to kill were given in advance (Deaths in Gaza will haunt Israeli snipers, Letters, 13 April; Letters, 17 April).
It is right for the British government to comment on hostile actions by foreign states in breach of international law wherever they occur - on UK territory, in Syria or in Yemen. But the silence of the prime minister and the foreign secretary on Israel's premeditated killings is deafening. Moreover, the UK government continues to approve arms exports to Israel despite its own guidelines prohibiting any sales of weapons that risk being used in violation of international law.
We call on the government to condemn publicly Israel's actions; to support an immediate UN investigation into the killings; and to ensure UK arms, finance and trade are not used to support Israel's unlawful actions. The British government must fulfil its responsibilities to hold Israel accountable and to bring about the end of Israel's unlawful siege and the military occupation of Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Hugh Lanning Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Ben Jamal Director, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Grahame Morris MP Chair, Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East
Tommy Sheppard MP, on behalf of SNP Friends of Palestine
John Kelly Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine
Owen Tudor Head, EU and International Relations, TUC,
Clare Short Former secretary of state for international development
Norman Warner House of Lords
Jenny Tonge House of Lords
Keith Taylor MEP
David Martin MEP
Francie Molloy MP (Sinn Féin)
Elisha McCallion MP (Sinn Féin)
Michelle Gildernew MP (Sinn Féin)
Paul Maskey MP (Sinn Féin)
Chris Hazzard MP (Sinn Féin)
Mickey Brady MP (Sinn Féin)
Len McCluskey General secretary, Unite the Union
Kevin Courtney General secretary, National Union of Teachers
Tim Roache General secretary, GMB
Mick Whelan General secretary, Aslef
Manuel Cortes General secretary, TSSA
Mick Cash General secretary, RMT
Dave Harvey NUT
Bert Schouwenburg International officer, GMB
Glyn Secker Executive committee, Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Dr Anas Tikriti President, Muslim Association of Britain
Attalah Said Chair, British Palestinian Policy Council
Ismail Patel Chair, Friends of Al Aqsa
Zaher Birawi Chair, Europal Forum
Dr Hafiz Alkarmi Chair, Palestinian Forum in Britain
Chris Rose Director, Amos Trust
Pat Gaffney General secretary, Pax Christi
Kate Hudson General secretary, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Leah Levane Co-chair, Jewish Voice for Labour
Mike Cushman Chair, Free Speech on Israel
Professor Karma Nabulsi
Professor Jonathan Rosenhead
Victoria Brittain
Lowkey
Ahdaf Soueif
Dave Randal
Geoffrey Bindman QC
Miranda Pinch
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