Gaza: Bolton Green Party calls for 'ceasefire immediately'

The Bolton Green Party have warned that more innocent people will die in the region if an “immediate” ceasefire isn’t called.

This comes after Bolton Labour leader Nick Peel joined with council leaders across the region in calling for a “ceasefire by all sides” while Conservative leader Martyn Cox wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asking him to “request a ceasefire".

Press officer Alan Johnson said: “Bolton Greens condemns the attack by Hamas on October 7, but we also condemn the Israel government response.

“The Hamas attack left 1,400 deaths of innocent civilians, but up to 8,000 innocent civilians, reports suggest 3,000 children in Gaza have lost their lives, and many more injuries, Hamas is not the Palestinians, and the Palestinians  are not Hamas.

Protesters marched from Queens Park to Victoria Square (Image: Henry Lisowski)

“It is high time our government, and the opposition calls for a ceasefire immediately, and an end to the blockade, and the siege of Gaza, how many more innocents must lose their lives, in this genocide of a conflict.”

The spiralling violence has already prompted two major public protests in support of the embattled Palestinian people in Bolton town centre, the first on October 15 and the second just last weekend on Saturday, October 28, organised by the group Bolton4Palestine.

Five Bolton councillors, including two cabinet members, have signed a letter organised by the Labour Muslim Network calling on their party leader Keir Starmer to back a ceasefire, while Bolton South East MP, Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi, used her platform last week at Prime Ministers Questions to call on Mr Sunak to do the same.

She said: “This is collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza for crimes they did not commit.

“How many more innocent Palestinians must die before this Prime Minister calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire?”

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Bolton North East Conservative MP Mark Logan has also called for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

He said: “We cannot only talk about a two state solution. It must be realised.

“I asked the Prime Minister what we are doing to ensure that the international community doesn’t just talk a good game on a two-state solution, but rather works concertedly to deliver this outcome for the region, offering hope for lasting peace in the Middle East.

“Additionally, I welcome the further £20m of humanitarian aid for Gaza.”

A peace vigil is expected to take place in Victoria Square over the coming days and weeks.