55,000 urge new UK premier to hold Israel accountable for Gaza genocide

Pro-Palestine groups on Wednesday delivered a petition signed by more than 55,000 people to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's office in Downing Street, demanding the new premier hold Israel accountable for the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Campaigners hand over demands

Video footage shared on the social media platform X showed Ryvka Barnard, deputy director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Sara Husseini of the British Palestinian Committee, and actor Juliet Stevenson presenting the document to Downing Street. The delegation urged Burnham to shift the UK government's position on Palestinian rights, citing the failures of the previous administration.

No 'piecemeal approach' to genocide

Speaking in the footage, Barnard called on Burnham to uphold international law and hold Israel to account over the genocide "that it's been committing, that's an ongoing genocide that it continues to commit." Husseini stated there could be no "piecemeal approach" to occupation, apartheid and genocide, noting that the British public would watch closely to see if the new government delivers meaningful justice for Palestinians.

Death toll mounts in Gaza

Stevenson said the groups were urging Burnham "to shift the UK government's position on this, because we've watched Keir Starmer (former prime minister) collude with it." Israel's genocide in Gaza has killed at least 73,470 Palestinians and injured 174,540 others since October 2023, according to the enclave's Health Ministry, while around 90% of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.