UK: Shadow Foreign Secretary's call for humanitarian pause in Gaza is not practical nor sufficient

In response to the Shadow Foreign Secretary's comments supporting humanitarian pauses and the work of the International Criminal Court, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's Chief Executive, said:

"It is important that David Lammy is stating clearly that the suffering of civilians in Israel and Gaza must stop. But as he says himself, humanitarian pauses won't make the impact needed to relieve the atrocious humanitarian crisis in Gaza, so why inexplicably stop short of demanding an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire?

"A humanitarian pause of a few hours or even days is neither practical nor sufficient to rebuild hospitals and clinics, secure the safe release and return of hostages, or enable independent investigations into war crimes and other human rights violations by the International Criminal Court. 

"We welcome the Shadow Foreign Secretary saying it is unacceptable that Israel still has not lifted the siege conditions and expressing public support for the International Criminal Court investigation into the situation in Palestine. Collective punishment, which is what the blockade of Gaza is, is a war crime and should be called out as one.

“Decades of injustice and impunity, as well as crimes associated with the occupation and Israel's system of apartheid, are at the root of this crisis. Justice and accountability offer an effective route out of this crisis for millions of Israelis and Palestinians.”