Social Democratic and Labour Party Leader and MP for Foyle Colum Eastwood has welcomed a cessation of violence between Israel and Hamas and has called for the international community to now step in, deescalate tensions and call upon Israeli to halt their illegal territorial expansion.

Colum Eastwood MP said:

“Over the last 11 days, we have witnessed appalling violence, destruction and indiscriminate murder in Gaza and Israel. Families have been torn apart, entire communities have been reduced to rubble, and livelihoods have been destroyed through rockets, airstrikes and bombing. There is no justification for this senseless murder.

“The forced eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and across East Jerusalem is an affront to international law. The subsequent actions of the Israeli Defence Forces at the behest of the Israeli government demonstrates that the international community must step in to stop the continued mistreatment and human rights abuses against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

“People around the world welcome this ceasefire and an end to the killing. We will continue to fight and campaign for the human rights of all Palestinians to be upheld and an end to illegal evictions.

“It is vital that while the ceasefire is in effect, the international community steps in to broker a permanent end to violence and presses upon the Israeli government to stop their illegal territorial expansion."