The human suffering of the past week is unimaginable.
We utterly condemn the killing of civilians at the hands of Hamas and call for the immediate release of all hostages.
Just as previous wrongs can never justify the attack on the defenceless by Hamas, neither does this recent tragedy justify the unfolding humanitarian disaster caused by IDF bombing and siege. Cutting off supplies to Gaza is a war crime. International law must be upheld. The UK Government and our political leaders stand complicit in the suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people unless they call for the unlawful siege to end. Silence is not an option.
The STUC re-asserts its view that the only road to peace, difficult as it may be, lies in a two states solution fully respecting pre 1967 borders and rights of religious access. The occupation must end. Illegal settlements must be dismantled. All peoples living in Israel and Palestine must be afforded equal rights, including the right to return.
The immediate priority is for a ceasefire to be negotiated and the siege of Gaza ended without delay. We support calls for a humanitarian corridor to be opened with supplies, energy and medical aid and for the release without condition of all hostages.
