'Sunak can no longer stand idly by while families of Brits are in mortal danger'

10 February 2024 , 22:33

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'Rishi Sunak must step up while the families of British citizens are in mortal danger in Gaza before it's too late'

No help for loved ones in war hell

NHS consultant Salim Ghayyda’s fears for his family, who are trapped in Gaza, grow by the hour. His parents, eight siblings and 15 other relatives are among the 1.5 million Palestinians who fled to the Rafah crossing with Egypt, seeking refuge from Israeli air strikes. But now Benjamin Netanyahu has told them to evacuate before an Israeli ground assault. Aid agencies say it will be impossible to move them all in time. And, as Gaza’s southernmost city was the last place of relative safety, there is nowhere for them to go.

Salim’s appeal to the British Government to help his family fell on deaf ears. He’s now crowdfunding for £100,000 to get them out. The paediatric doctor is upset and angry Britain will not offer the kind of temporary sanctuary Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians were given when their countries were at war.

Israel’s right to defend itself is not in question. But that required a proportionate response to last October’s Hamas atrocity. Even US President Joe Biden – a staunch Israeli ally – has said Mr Netanyahu’s actions are now “over the top”. And UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that invading Rafah would be a “humanitarian nightmare”. Mr Netanyahu is not listening. And with talks for a ceasefire collapsing, there is no end in sight to the killing.

Rishi Sunak can no longer stand idly by while the families of British citizens like Salim are in mortal danger. Britain has stepped up to the plate before when war threatens innocent lives. The PM must do so again before it’s too late.

Legal tragedy

It's heartbreaking when families cannot get justice for their loved ones because of a loophole in the law. Little Pearl Black was just 22 months old when a garden wall fell on her after it was hit by an empty Land Rover. The driver had not secured the handbrake when parking.

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But the law states there can be no prosecution unless a vehicle is moving along a public road at the time of an accident. Thanks to Pearl’s Labour MP, an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill going through Parliament should plug this glaring legal gap. It will come too late for Pearl’s parents, who campaigned for change – but it could ease the pain for others caught up in similar tragedies. And it will remind those who draw up laws, all eventualities must be taken into account.

’Shroom at bar

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