Date received: 14 December 2023
Signatures received: 6
Name of petitioner: Mr Syed Hussain
Petition response:
RECEIPT OF PETITION – Ceasefire in Palestine Request
‘I refer to the petition, signed by County Councillor Syed Hussain and local residents, requesting that Staffordshire County Council contact the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, and relevant authorities, and urge them to promptly initiate a ceasefire in Palestine and provide humanitarian aid.
Staffordshire County Council and our partners strive to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all members of our community. Our thoughts continue to be with those affected by the horrific loss of life and suffering in Israel and Gaza, both across the world, and in our communities here in Staffordshire.
The county council echoes the statement by the Prime Minister The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP to the House of Commons in which he shares a message of solidarity with the Middle East against terror and the further spread of conflict.
We fully support the UK Government’s position in both standing resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror and with the plight of Palestinian civilians.
The Government’s stance remains clear; there is a need to act in line with international humanitarian law and take every possible step to avoid harming civilians. It recognises that too many lives have been lost, that people are suffering terribly with a growing humanitarian crisis, and that Palestinian people too are victims of Hamas.
We firmly believe the Government is focused on doing all that can be done to support reaching a sustainable ceasefire that would result in lasting peace in the region.
Furthermore, the county council supports the UK Government’s efforts to work with relevant international authorities; to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza; to further focus on determined diplomacy that recognises the hard realities on the ground and delivers help now; to ensure that determination remains to prevent escalation, all whilst also investing more deeply in regional stability and in the two-state solution.
We commend the UK Government’s continued work, together with international partners, in this area.
During these difficult times, the county council will continue to take the Government’s lead, navigating the issues with understanding, solidarity, and the shared hope to keep alive that vision of a better future, against those who seek to destroy it. ‘