Green councillors have asked Hyndburn Council to urge the government to step selling weapons to Israel and impose sanctions on its leaders because of the conflict in Gaza.

They have submitted a motion to the authority's full meeting in Accrington Town Hall on Thursday night.

It follows the Hyndburn Council passing unanimously a motion in January calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to step up UK government efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Israel/Hamas conflict.

Proposed by Peel ward's Cllr Paddy Short and seconded by Barnfield ward's Cllr Caroline Montague it says: "This council notes the continuing rising death toll, starvation of Gaza citizens, displacement and devastation to homes, infrastructure and environment in Gaza and the continuing threat of escalation beyond Israel, Gaza and the occupied territories.

"To date, around 70 per cent of those killed have been women and children.

"This council believes residents in our district/area are rightly concerned about the situation in the Middle East, its impact directly on people in our communities and upon community relations, and the rising tide of incidents of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia."

It asks the council to write to the Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, calling on the UK government and Labour Party to:

  • demand Israel stop the killing and implement an immediate ceasefire and Hamas must also agree to this ceasefire and release all hostages.
  • call on the UK government to suspend all arms export licences to Israel until the killing stops, and to cease all military collaboration with Israel, including allowing Israeli use of British bases and RAF intelligence flights over Gaza.
  • further call on the UK government and Labour Party to back calls for Israel to be suspended from international sporting and music events, and to withdraw all public money from funds with investments in Israel, and end beneficial trade arrangements with Israel.

The Greens add: "We believe we can increase the pressure on Israeli leaders by introducing targeted sanctions against key individuals.

"This would include travel bans and asset freezes on Israel's leadership and cabinet members, in particular those calling for new settlements in Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank."