On Saturday, local MP Drew Hendry and Highland Palestine led a solidarity gathering in Inverness City Centre where people gathered to talk about the developing situation in Gaza.
At the gathering, Drew Hendry, Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, spoke about why an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war is the only way forward. The event was organised in collaboration with Highland Palestine, a local campaign group, and took place at the Spectrum Centre on Saturday afternoon.
Hendry, who has long advocated for a ceasefire, wanted the gathering to provide local people with the opportunity to talk about the conflict and to raise any questions they have.
Mr Hendry has praised Highland Palestine for being ‘a pillar of hope’ for the community, who, over recent months, have led weekly rallies calling for an immediate ceasefire and for the provision of humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza. They have also organised fundraising events to raise money to help Salim Ghayyda – a paediatric consultant at Raigmore Hospital – whose family are trapped in Gaza. Mr Hendry has supported this cause and has raised the issue of the lack of UK Government support for the families of British Palestinians on several occasions in Parliament.
Commenting, Mr Hendry said:
“There are people suffering unimaginable terror in Gaza right now. The single most important thing when you see innocent people – many of which are children – losing their lives in Gaza, is to get an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
“We gathered together at the weekend not only to stand together in solidarity and discuss the developing situation, but to let people know that we care about the people in Gaza, and that we will not stop fighting for them.”
“It is absolutely vital that we keep the focus on this issue. People are living suffering terror, deprivation, and privation, and it cannot go on. The collective punishment of people is completely unacceptable and must stop now.”
Mr Hendry recently signed a letter to Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron which urges the UK Government to demand that Israel must not use starvation as a weapon of war, in line with international humanitarian law, as well as signing a cross-party letter calling for the suspension of UK-made weapons being sold to Israel, and continues to advocate for an immediate ceasefire.
This comes as over one million Palestinian people are thought to be seeking shelter in Rafah where there are significant food shortages, after being displaced by Israeli attacks elsewhere in Gaza.