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End UK complicity in genocide: Film with British actor Khalid Abdalla Projected in London

Last week, Global Legal Action Network, Al-Haq and Artists for Palestine UK projected a short film of British actor Khalid Abdalla called “I cannot unsee” onto the entrance of St Thomas’ Hospital. The organisations are calling on the UK to end its complicity in the genocide in Palestine by ceasing arms exports immediately.  The video is launching just hours after Israel announced the ban of UNRWA - the UN’s Palestine aid agency - in Palestine.


The video highlights the testimonials of doctors who have returned from Gaza. Over the last year, Israeli forces have specifically targeted hospitals and health facilities, with 114 hospitals and clinics no longer functioning, and have killed at least 986 medical workers.


The New York Times recently polled 65 independent health care workers about what they had seen in Gaza; doctors, nurses and paramedics consistently saw cases of preteen children who had been shot in the head or chest. An orthopaedic surgeon from Dallas, Texas said, “One day, while in the E.R., I saw a 3-year-old and 5-year-old, each with a single bullet hole to their head. When asked what happened, their father and brother said they had been told that Israel was backing out of Khan Younis. So they returned to see if anything was left of their house. There was, they said, a sniper waiting who shot both children.” Another doctor from Ohio said, “It was almost a daily occurrence to have children arrive at the hospital with gunshot wounds to the head.”


Today’s video is part of an ongoing global movement by Palestinians, artists, civil society and legal experts advocating for the UK government to end the export of weapons and weapon parts to Israel over the last year. 


Over 100 leading cultural figures in Britain, including Oscar and BAFTA-winners, called on the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to commit to stop arming Israel prior to the Labour victory in the general election earlier this year. The UK has a legal duty to uphold international law and failing to halt arms exports could leave ministers at risk of criminal prosecution, NGOs warned the government earlier this year.


Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, GLAN lawyer, said, “Time and again, dedicated Palestinian and international medics have told the world of the unspeakable crimes being perpetrated by Israeli forces against the Palestinian people. Time and again, the UK Government has not listened. Doctors have consistently reported treating preteen children for sniper wounds to the head and chest. The government cannot delay action a moment longer, they must revoke UK licences for F-35 fighter jet components that could be used by Israel, and take measures to prevent and punish genocide. As Khalid Abdalla says, listen to the doctors of Gaza.”



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