We were all appalled by the scenes we saw last October when Hamas terrorists attacked innocent Israeli citizens, killing many and taking hundreds of men, women, and children as hostages. No matter the historical actions of both sides, there is absolutely no justification or legitimacy for the atrocities of October 7 perpetuated by Hamas.
In the six months that have followed, we have seen the situation in the Levant deteriorate significantly as the Israeli Government took action to free the hostages from Gaza. The actions of the IDF have become increasingly intolerable and there is a vital need to increase the amount of aid reaching the innocent civilians of Gaza. This, however, cannot detract from the fact that Hamas continue to hold innocent Israeli civilians as hostages.
Sadly, new evidence continues to come to light about the fate of the hostages and the crimes perpetuated by Hamas last October. This afternoon, in my role as Chair of the All-Party Group for British Jews, I hosted a number of relatives of hostages still detained.
This important meeting was a timely reminder that the fate of the hostages remains uncertain and as more time passes is increasingly worrying. I personally want to pay tribute to the courage of the families who visited parliament to remind us that the longer this conflict drags on, the more innocent civilians suffer.
The message to Members of Parliaments and Peers was clear, there must be an immediate pause in the fighting to facilitate the return of the remaining hostages and the access of aid.
