Burnley and Pendle Labour leaders on Lancashire County Council and Burnley Borough Council call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza conflict

The Labour group leaders of Lancashire County Council and Burnley Borough Council, County Coun. Azhar Ali and Coun. Afrasiab Anwar, made the call after previously putting their names to a community letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to demand a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Labour leader on Lancashire County Council County Coun. Ali said: “Labour councillors from across Lancashire have been lobbying their own MPs over the last week to ask for an immediate ceasefire to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

“We have also written to Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, to express the serious concerns our communities and councillors have around the war in Palestine and Israel and the thousands of innocent people who have been killed in the last few days with over 2,000 children dead.

“The international community and our government must ensure the release of hostages whilst also negotiate to stop the barrage of missiles flying on both sides which will make a two state solution harder to achieve.

“A ceasefire is also needed to allow for the dead to be buried with dignity.”

Leader of Burnley Council, Coun. Afrasaib Anwar said: “We are still waiting for Rishi Sunak to respond to our community letter setting out our legitimate concerns over the potential escalation that could spill over into neighbouring countries.

“We should not be arming Israel so they can destroy the lives of innocent Palestinians. We need a ceasefire to allow medicine, fuel and water to reach the 2.2 million Palestinians.”