SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP has called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to allow humanitarian aid corridors to be established to relieve the crisis in Gaza.

The Foyle MP was speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon during a statement on the violence in Gaza and southern Israel.

Colum Eastwood MP said:

“The situation in Gaza right now is as close to Hell as many of us could imagine. The evacuation of hospitals, critical utilities cut off, an enforced exodus to the south of the region and more dead and dying as a result of the most horrendous conflict in one of the most densely populated areas is hard to comprehend.

“The murder and mayhem visited on communities in Gaza and southern Israel must come to an end. The cycle of violence has to stop. The politics of force and violence can never secure a lasting peace. Violence inflicted on civilians, of the kind that we’ve seen this last week, is like a virus that affects and infects a society for generations. The only cure is the relentless pursuit of dialogue and peace between people even with the most historic enmity.

“What is needed right now, and is deliverable by those involved in this appalling conflict, is an immediate ceasefire to establish humanitarian aid corridors for those trapped in what is effectively an open air prison. The release of hostages held in more frightening circumstances than any of us could imagine. And a commitment from the international community to work intensively for peace based on a two-state solution.”