Nadia El-Nakla: My family starves in Gaza while the world watches
Think of the anger and heartbreak so many of us feel watching the images of emaciated children. Now imagine living through that nightmare, watching your own children crying in pain, while you yourself haven't had a proper meal or adequate water in nearly 40 degree heat, for days.
All of this, while knowing that tonnes of food and aid is merely kilometres away, but deliberately being withheld from you, in an attempt to slowly kill you and your people.
And of course, the entire world is watching, and world leaders from across the globe are impotently inactive. At best, they produce statements, but words are not enough to feed a family. At worst, too many governments continue to be complicit in the genocide we are witnessing, such as the UK Government.
The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, described the scenes of starvation in Gaza as 'grotesque'. Not grotesque enough to stop selling the Israeli government weapons and munitions, not grotesque enough to stop training IDF soldiers in the UK, not grotesque enough to stop RAF flights over [[Gaza]] that are reportedly feeding the Israelis with intelligence.
Humza and I have been flooded by messages from people right across the world who are both angered and heartbroken at the scenes we are witnessing in Gaza. All of them are asking the same question 'What more can we do?'
READ MORE: Donald Trump protest near mother's birthplace planned for Scotland visit
Firstly, it is important we keep going, we keep petitioning, pressuring and pleading with the Government to use all the levers at their disposal to end this man-made humanitarian catastrophe.
From banning international journalists from entering Gaza, to targeting and killing those reporters who live in Gaza – the Israeli government is doing its best to silence the voices of the people of Gaza, to hide the truth.
That is why we need to keep raising our voices.
The time for mealy-mouthed statements from our leaders is over. When pregnant mothers can no longer get the basic nourishment they require, it is time to stop equivocating.
The first set of actions the UK Government must take it to end its complicity in the genocide we are witnessing.
There can be no justification to continue to sell arms to a regime headed by a man wanted by the world's highest criminal court for war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including using starvation as a weapon of war.
They UK must stop all elements of security and defence co-operation with Israel. From RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza to training IDF soldiers – all of it must end, and end immediately.
READ MORE: Daily Express front page piles pressure on Labour to act on Gaza
Next, we must maintain the pressure on the UK Government to treat the government of Israel as the apartheid South African regime was once treated. That must include meaningful sanctions on senior individuals like Netanyahu, but also economic and trade sanctions so Israel feels pressure from the international community.
Our children and future generations will study the Gaza Genocide, and wonder how on earth we could possibly let it happen. At the very least, every single one of us alive today has a responsibility to ensure we are on the right side of history.
If starving children can not force the world to act, then humanity is completely lost.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
16 minutes ago
- BBC News
UK condemns Hong Kong cash offer for help in arresting activists
The UK has condemned the latest cash offer from Hong Kong authorities for people who help in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain. In a joint statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the move as "another example of transnational repression".People are being offered between $25,000 (HK$200,000) and $125,000 for information leading to the arrest of 19 individuals, all of whom are pro-democracy activists living abroad. China has denounced as "interference" criticism over this type of appeal, which it has made three times previously. The 19 people are accused of violating Beijing's national security law imposed in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for amounts on offer vary depending on the individual. Among the highest offers on the list are those for Choi Ming-da and Fok Ka-chi, who Hong Kong police said operated a social media channel named "Tuesdayroad". Politician Nathan Law – who had been a lawmaker on the Legislative Council of Hong Kong – and activist and commentator Yuan Gong-Yi also appear on the lists. The first such rewards were issued in July and December 2023. They targeted Nathan Law - who told the BBC that his life became more dangerous after a bounty was announced - and Simon Cheng, a former UK consulate employee detained in 2019 in a high-profile case. The third series of rewards targeted six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada, including Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group. A special visa scheme introduced in 2021 saw around 150,000 Hong Kong residents move to the UK, according to the Home Office. In November last year a Hong Kong court sentenced dozens of pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security their statement in response to the latest bounty, Ms Cooper and Mr Lammy said "this government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously."Their joint statement added: "The UK is committed to human rights, the rule of law, and the safety of all individuals in the UK. That's why we have taken further steps to complete the severing of ties between the UK and Hong Kong extradition systems by removing Hong Kong from the Extradition Act 2003."
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Starmer risks cabinet revolt by rejecting MPs' demands to acknowledge a Palestinian state
A third of MPs last night piled pressure on Keir Starmer to acknowledge Palestine as a state as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsened. In a letter to the Prime Minister, 221 members across nine parties joined forces to press for UK recognition of Palestinian statehood at a UN Conference next week. They said they were 'expectant' that the outcome of the congress will be the Government 'outlining when and how it will act on its long-standing commitment on a two-state solution'. But Sir Keir resisted, insisting that recognition 'must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis'. The letter came as UN agencies warned that Gaza is running out of specialised food to save severely malnourished children. Supplies of ready-to-use therapeutic food will run out by mid-August if nothing changes, they warned. Palestinians have accused the IDF of 'cutting off' Gaza, but Israel has insisted that Hamas is to blame for failing to deliver aid to civilians. Yesterday, journalist Ahmed al-Arini shared horrifying pictures of severely malnourished Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq in his mother's arms in the spartan tent they now share in Gaza City to highlight the situation. Last night Donald Trump claimed Hamas didn't want to make a deal on a ceasefire in Gaza, as the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar. Following the breakdown of talks, the US President – who was on his way to Scotland – said: 'It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die. 'Now we're down to the final hostages and they know what happens after you get the final hostages. Basically, because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal.' On Thursday, France announced it would recognise a Palestinian state – the first G7 nation to do so. President Emmanuel Macron said he would honour a 'historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East', and also called for the 'demilitarisation' of Hamas. But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch warned Sir Keir against following France's lead. She said: 'The French government's decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state in this context, outside any direct negotiations, while hostages are still held, undermines the prospects of a lasting peace and sends a dangerous message to the world. 'Keir Starmer must assist in seeking a peaceful end to this conflict rather than follow France's misguided decision to reward the terrorist group that started it. 'The only path to peace that will see an end to the appalling suffering in Gaza is the complete eradication of Hamas.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio branded France's decision 'reckless' and said the US 'strongly rejects' the announcement. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned Mr Macron's move, saying: 'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it.' But France's decision has piled further pressure on Downing Street over its stance on Palestinian statehood. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called for recognition 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. The UK Government has said it will designate Palestine as a state in conjunction with allies at the 'point of maximum impact' – though has not specified what that would be. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who organised the cross-party letter to Sir Keir, said that while 'recognition alone will not end the suffering in Gaza... it is an important symbolic step on the path to the two-state solution. That remains the only viable proposal to secure a lasting peace for the region'. The plea came as Israel said aid can be dropped into Gaza via parachutes. Last night the Lib Dems called on the RAF to 'lead the way' in delivering the drops.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
PM signals UK will help Gaza aid airdrop amid calls for Palestinian statehood
Israel said on Friday it will allow airdrops of aid by foreign countries into Gaza to alleviate starvation in the Palestinian territory. The Prime Minister said the UK will 'do everything we can to get aid in via this route'. Sir Keir meanwhile faces growing calls to recognise a Palestinian state immediately, amid mounting global anger over the starving population in Gaza. Some 221 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independents, have signed a letter calling on the Government to take the step at a UN meeting next week. France's president Emmanuel Macron announced his nation would formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, leading UK politicians to question whether the British Government would follow suit. US President Donald Trump suggested Mr Macron's announcement 'doesn't matter' as he left America for a visit to Scotland. But Sarah Champion, the senior Labour MP who organised the letter by parliamentarians, said recognition 'would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people'. Other senior Commons figures who signed the letter include Labour select committee chairs Liam Byrne, Dame Emily Thornberry and Ruth Cadbury. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as Tory former minister Kit Malthouse, and Sir Edward Leigh – Parliament's longest-serving MP – also signed it. The majority of those who have signed, 131, are Labour MPs. In a video statement released on Friday, Sir Keir made plain his desire for a ceasefire in the war. He said: 'I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying. 'The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.' The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting. The UK will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to Palestinians, and we will evacuate children who need urgent medical assistance. This humanitarian catastrophe must end. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 25, 2025 Signalling the UK is willing to help get aid into Gaza via air, the Prime Minister added: 'News that Israel will allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza has come far too late, but we will do everything we can to get aid in via this route. 'We are already working urgently with the Jordanian authorities to get British aid on to planes and into Gaza.' Children who need specialist medical treatment will be evacuated from Gaza to the UK, Sir Keir added. The Prime Minister also called for an international coalition to 'end the suffering' in Gaza, similar to the coalition of the willing aimed at helping Ukraine. Sir Keir had earlier responded to calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state, insisting such a move needed to be part of the 'pathway' to peace in the Middle East, which he and allies are working towards. He added: 'Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.' In a statement released on Friday alongside the leaders of France and Germany, the Prime Minister urged Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza. Charities operating in Gaza have said Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation, warning that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'. The Prime Minister will meet the US president during his trip to Scotland, where he arrived on Friday evening. US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday, with Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce.
