Pressure is growing on the UK government to push for a ceasefire

The UK government is facing growing pressure to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as a new poll has found the overwhelming majority of the British public would support this move.

According to a new poll from YouGov, 56 per cent of the public think there definitely should be a ceasefire in Gaza, with 18 per cent of the public thinking there probably should.

Just 8 per cent of Brits think there probably or definitely should not be a ceasefire, the poll has found.

The poll’s findings came as prime minister Rishi Sunak made a visit to Israel and said he was ‘proud’ to support the country. He said: “We will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people. And we also want you to win”.

Over 1,000 people were killed in an attack by Hamas in Israel earlier this month, with hundreds more having been taken hostage. Since, Israel has launched a total blockade on Gaza – cutting off the entry of food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity – and has conducted continuous airstrikes in the densely populated Palestinian territory.

The Israeli military operation has killed more than 3,000 people in Gaza, and experts have said that both the blockade and indiscriminate air strikes constitute war crimes.

More than 50 British MPs have backed a call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza and an end to the blockade. Among those who’ve made the call are former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Green MP Caroline Lucas and the Tory MP Crispin Blunt.

Both the Tory government and the Labour leader Keir Starmer have refused to support a ceasefire.

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward

Image credit: Socialist Appeal – Creative Commons

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