LFI welcomes today’s ceasefire announcement. We commend the bravery and courage of the families of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and hope to see the swift release of all of their loved ones.
We hope too that the ceasefire will allow a surge in aid to ease the plight of the people of Gaza.
Hamas’ decision to break the ceasefire on 7 October 2023 and commence a murderous attack on southern Israel brought about terrible suffering for innocent Israelis and Palestinians alike. It is imperative that Hamas is not able to rearm and plays no future role in the governance of Gaza.
We now urge the UK and our allies to commence a renewed push for a two-state solution, with a negotiated Palestinian state alongside Israel, safe and secure in its borders, alongside normalisation agreements between Israel and its regional neighbours. This will require a strategy which marginalises the enemies of peace, encompassing:
• A reformed and strengthened Palestinian Authority.
• Immediate steps to improve the economic and security situation in the West Bank.
• The development of a regional framework for peace to limit the influence of Iran and its allies.
• The convening of a Gaza stabilisation and reconstruction summit and the transition to an interim governing authority led by Palestinians with international support.
• The establishment of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace to lay the civic society foundations for a future peace process.
