Israel and Hamas ceasefire welcomed but underlying issues must now be addressed

Following reports that a ceasefire between the Israeli government and Hamas has now been agreed, Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs commented: “Sixty six children have died since the outbreak of violence last week. Every death was totally preventable. And while a ceasefire is welcome, we cannot afford yet another return to a status quo which will only lead to more innocent deaths in the future. “The potential evictions, demolitions and settlement expansions in the West Bank - which are breaches of international law – must be stopped. The status quo arrangements in Jerusalem must be restored. It is vitally important that the Palestinians are able to fulfil their democratic aspirations through new elections including all Palestinian parties. In this context, Hamas, as well as the Israeli authorities, must eschew violence and oppression and allow a legitimate political process to be pursued. “To address these issues, we need a process – but peace talks have not meaningfully taken place for years. So it is now incumbent on the UK Government to work with the international community to facilitate the reconstruction of negotiations, negotiations which must take place between two equal partners. “Above all, there must be an injection of new hope into conflict which has been hijacked by the extremes. The strongest card the UK can play is to recognise the state of Palestine, which will ignite the flames of hope and bring greater balance to future negotiations. I urge the Government to do the right thing.”