"I refuse to stand by and watch Palestinian and Israeli civilians pay the price for political failure. Humanity must be shown to those caught up in this violence and humanitarian catastrophe. Every life matters equally, and we will not be divided on this.

"You must do everything in your power to push for an immediate ceasefire, to allow humanitarian aid for people facing intolerable suffering. The siege of Gaza must be stopped, and water, food and fuel allowed in. We ask you to work to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.

"A path to peace and justice for all, that includes a fair future for both Palestinian and Israeli people, is the only way forward. Your government and other world leaders must work towards a de-escalation of violence now."

It is easy to feel helpless as we watch the horror continue to unfold in the news. Palestinian and Israeli civilians have faced appalling violence, and continue to pay the price for the failure of leaders to resolve a conflict which has led to the longest occupation in modern history.

The escalation of violence since 7 October has been terrifying, and we are witnessing unfathomable death and destruction in Gaza. Relentless airstrikes and ground invasions are indiscriminately killing civilians. Tens of thousands of people have already died. Vital infrastructure has been destroyed. Palestinians have had to flee their homes, many of them multiple times.

Israel has deliberately and systematically denied people in Gaza food, water, medicine and shelter. This has caused diseases to outbreak, people to die of malnutrition, and now much of Gaza is at imminent risk of famine. The Israeli authorities are using starvation as a weapon of war.

This is an act of collective punishment and against international law. Combined with the indiscriminate killing of civilians, there is a real risk of a genocide in Gaza.

The UK also continues to fuel this conflict by selling arms to the Government of Israel, who could be using them to kill people or even commit war crimes.

While the UK refuses to decisively call for a ceasefire, and continues to sell arms to Israel, it is complicit in the slaughter of civilians taking place every day in Gaza.

We must speak out and say that every life — Palestinian and Israeli — should be valued and treated with humanity. And that we refuse to be divided in our call for lasting peace and justice.

So please join us as we call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire now. It’s the only way to stop the death and destruction, get enough aid to those who need it, and safely release the hostages.

As well as signing this petition, please donate what you can to our Gaza Appeal to help our teams respond to help the people of Gaza as soon as it’s safe.