By Alastair Tinto, Chair of South East Cornwall Labour Party

Last week, South East Cornwall Labour Party joined the calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. I chaired a packed meeting in Liskeard Public Hall where speakers urged an end to what the United Nations has described as the “epic suffering” in Gaza.

Discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not easy because feelings are strong on both sides. One speaker talked passionately about the Jewish right to a homeland whilst another, who has worked in the Jenin refugee camp, described the restrictions over many years that make life for Palestinians so unbearable and which feed terrorism. But it was a very considered and respectful debate which shows that you can debate this difficult topic in a spirit of tolerance and respect. I was proud that night to be a member of the Labour Party.

The resolution agreed at our meeting makes it clear that the killing of more than 1,200 Israeli citizens by Hamas on October 7 and the taking of 240 hostages are almost certainly war crimes and gross breaches of humanitarian law. However, the bombing of the civilian infrastructure in Gaza which has now killed over 18,000 people, nearly all civilians, of which at least 13,000 are women and children, is also very probably a war crime and a gross breach of international law.

As a speaker with an armed forces background said, “just war principles” are clear that violence in war must be proportional to the injury suffered. No one played down the harm caused by the Hamas attacks on Israel which ignited the current conflict but the siege of the Gaza strip which has displaced 1.8 million people is disproportionate. The overwhelming force being used, the destruction of 40% of the buildings, including schools and hospitals, the high rate of death and injury to women and children and the impact of the blockade of food, water and medicines on innocent people are unacceptable.

Some argue that a ceasefire would freeze the conflict and allow Hamas to regroup. But a speaker with experience of conflict resolution said that this bears no resemblance to what actually happens. The point of a ceasefire is to use the pause in fighting to change the dynamics of the conflict to enable negotiation and diplomacy between parties and to bring in third parties who can exert a positive influence. A lot can and does change during a ceasefire.

Last week the USA, supported by an abstention by the UK, vetoed a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire. However, the pressure that the USA is putting on Israel seems now to have achieved a modest increase in food and aid into Gaza. But the killing goes on. The only way to stop the terrible bombardment of the people of Palestine and indeed to secure the safe return of the hostages is to implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire. That is what SE Cornwall Labour Party is calling for.