Mid Sussex residents call for Gaza ceasefire: district’s Parents for Peace meet MP to advocate end to conflict

Constituents and members of Parents for Peace Mid Sussex met with Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies on Thursday to ask her to support the permanent ceasefire.

They presented her with a local petition, a painted banner with children’s handprints on it, and more than 50 letters from local residents.

Holly Edwards from Parents for Peace Mid Sussex said: “Putting our children to bed in warmth and comfort, knowing a child in Gaza will go to sleep and not wake up every night is too much to bear. our leaders need to do more.”

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The event was organised by Oxfam GB and was sponsored by MP Flick Drummond. More than 150 campaigners from around the UK visited Westminster on Thursday and speakers included the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK H.E. Dr Husam Zomlot and MPs Dr Rosena Allin-Khan and Brendan O’Hara.

Oxfam GB’s UK Government Relations Adviser Heather Lafferty said: “We implore MP’s to listen to their constituents and do everything in their power to push the UK Government to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire. A ceasefire is the only way to stop the death and destruction, for hostages to be released safely, and for enough humanitarian aid to reach the millions of people who desperately need it.”

Mims Davies said: “The daily human cost in Israel and Gaza is immense and what we are seeing in the news and online is truly heart-breaking.”

She said that, as a parent, it is hard to watch the scenes from the area, and confirmed she recently met the campaigners from Mid Sussex.

She said: “We agree there must be focus on a reduction in civilian casualties and all parties must act within international humanitarian law and the PM and UK Government has been strident on this. I agree that we want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and continue to maintain this. The UK Government is driving diplomatic efforts with our Foreign Secretary doing all we can to achieve an immediate humanitarian pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards the sustainable, permanent long-term ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.”