Two Labour MPs and almost 40 councillors have called for an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Gaza.

A total of 35 Labour members of Brent Council released a statement on Sunday (October 29), announcing that they were joining Dawn Butler and Barry Gardiner in opposing “all acts of murder and hostage taking”, with three more having signed by Tuesday.

It comes as Israeli ground forces entered Gaza over the weekend in what Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as the “second stage” of the war.

More than 8,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis have been killed since Hamas attacked from Gaza on October 7.

The statement (in full below) from the councillors read: “We, as a Brent family, stand against all acts of murder and hostage taking.

“We also stand against the death and catastrophic injury of thousands of innocent people, nearly half of them children, the destruction of homes and infrastructure and cutting off of humanitarian supplies that leaves hundreds and thousands living in fear and destitution.

“We therefore call for immediate action.”

Alongside calling for an “immediate ceasefire”, councillors asked for the end of “the blockade in Gaza”, for humanitarian aid to be let into the enclave and for hostages to be released.

They added that Israel must end the “illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza” and called for “meaningful peace talks to find a long-lasting solution”.

Yesterday, Brent Central MP Dawn Butler branded the decision by the UK Government to abstain on a United Nations vote calling for a ceasefire “disgraceful”.

She said: "(The) international world cannot sit back and allow the collective punishment of civilians in Gaza."

On Sky News this morning (October 30), education minister Robert Halfon defended the Government’s position, which has been mirrored by Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer.

He said: “[…]The Government have been absolutely clear that a ceasefire at this time is not the answer.

"We have called for a humanitarian pause.”
 

The full statement

We are appalled by events in the Middle East and are aware of the impact they are having on Brent residents. 

As one of the most diverse places in the country, we in Brent have a rich history of welcoming and standing in defence of all peoples, uniting against hate and racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, and fighting for justice against oppression and persecution. 

From Jayaben Desai and her fight for justice with the Grunwick strikes, through to conferring Nelson Mandela the 'freedom of the Borough', we strive to stand on the right side of history.

We, as a Brent family, stand against all acts of murder and hostage taking. We also stand against the death and catastrophic injury of thousands of innocent people, nearly half of them children, the destruction of homes and infrastructure and cutting off of humanitarian supplies that leaves hundreds of thousands living in fear and destitution. We must therefore call for immediate action.

We, the undersigned Brent Labour councillors, ask all political party leaders to urgently:

1. Join Dawn Butler MP, Barry Gardiner MP and Sadiq Khan in calling for an immediate ceasefire.

2. Join the UN General Secretary in calling for the end to the collective punishment and an end to the blockade in Gaza.

3. Join the World Health Organisation in calling for unrestricted, humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and the immediate restoration of access to water, food, power and medical aid.

4. Call for the release of all hostages and illegally held prisoners.

5. Call for an end to the illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, which directly violates international law and human rights.

6. Call for meaningful peace talks to find a long-lasting solution.

Cllr Abdi Aden, Cllr Ihtesham Afzal, Cllr Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam, Cllr Amer Agha, Cllr Parvez Ahmed, Cllr Ajmal Akram, Cllr Rita Begum, Cllr Teo Benea, Cllr Muhammad Butt, Cllr Saqib Butt, Cllr Jumbo Chan, Cllr Elliot Chappell, Cllr Bhagwanji Chohan, Cllr Saqlain Choudry, Cllr Diana Collymore, Cllr Rita Conneely, Cllr Tariq Dar, Cllr Liz Dixon, Cllr Tony Ethapemi, Cllr Harbi Farah, Cllr Kathleen Fraser, Cllr Erica Gbajumo, Cllr Gwen Grahl, Cllr Ryan Hack, Cllr Robert Johnson, Cllr Sandra Kabir, Cllr Arshad Mahmood, Cllr Tom Miller, Cllr Mary Mitchell, Cllr Ishma Moeen, Cllr Rajan-Seelan, Cllr Jake Rubin, Cllr Sonia Shah, Cllr Ketan Sheth, Cllr Krupa Sheth, Cllr Narinder Bajwa, Cllr Matt Kelcher, Cllr Mili Patel