Local people gathered outside Liberal Democrat party leader, and MP for Kingston and Surbiton, Sir Ed Davey's Surbiton constituency office on Friday (20 June), calling for urgent action to oppose Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza.

 They presented a letter signed by nearly 200 Kingston, Richmond and Twickenham residents. Their action coincided with Parliamentary moves calling for a wide range of measures against Israel.

All Lib Dem MPs have signed a Parliamentary motion condemning the ongoing military action and starvation of Gaza's civilian population.

 The residents' letter thanks Davey for his Party's motion but wants it to go further. 

 It says: "Call for a vote in Parliament on recognising the state of Palestine."

 It also calls on him to demand the Government brings in a wider range of sanctions against Israel and its politicians and a full trade embargo "until it abides by international humanitarian and human rights law".

 Both the letter and the Lib Dem motion demand a complete ban on arms sales to Israel by the UK Government.

 Letter organiser and Kingston resident, Paul Tippell, said: "We must do something, however small. By January this year 14,500 Palestinian children in Gaza had been killed by Israel.

"There are more child amputees per capita in Gaza than anywhere else in the world. The Israelis are blocking UN aid and thousands of children are experiencing acute malnutrition and will die unless special therapeutic foods are supplied.

 "The Head of the International Red Cross has said "Gaza is now worse than Hell on Earth …We cannot continue to watch what is happening. It's surpassing any acceptable, legal, moral, and humane standard".