Our online discussion today focused on the ongoing siege of Gaza and the future prospects for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The violent attacks in southern Israel on 7 October has unleashed an unprecedented level of violence against the Palestinian communities in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. To date, an estimated 1200 Israelis have been killed and over 28,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. There have also been around 400 killings of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli settlers; the US and UK Governments have, for the first time, introduced sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank. As we stand on the brink of an possible invasion of Rafah, which world leaders have strenuously warned against, will peace prevail, and at what cost?
Our discussion was led by experts Tim Livesey, chief executive of Embrace the Middle East and Dr Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and its lead spokesperson.