Israel must now agree to an immediate humanitarian ceasefire

Israel’s assault on aid workers shows just how extreme the situation in Gaza has become. Even those who are trying to bring any kind of relief to starving and desperate civilians aren’t safe – despite international law insisting that these people should be given protection and assistance.

Israel calls these atrocities “accidents”. But, to me, it is completely criminal and inhumane – and Israel needs to be held to account immediately.

It is an absolutely pathetic and empty gesture for the UK government to merely insist that Israel investigate... itself! Instead, they should be demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to save innocent lives, before more are lost.

Vince Ward

Sale

What tragic news to emerge from Gaza, that seven aid workers were killed by an Israeli air strike on a food convoy. Even the name of their charity, World Central Kitchen, conjures up such a proactive, caring and inclusive entity. Three Britons lost their lives, as well as Australian Zomi Frankcom, so brilliantly and lovingly remembered by her friend, Nate Mook, in The Independent.

It is no wonder that world leaders including the prime minister are demanding answers for why and how this tragedy happened, to aid workers of all people. These people are the best among us because they don’t just talk the talk, but place themselves wholeheartedly into the horrendous fray of wars and conflicts, where the majority of us would fear to tread.

The legacy of these seven aid workers will always be remembered by their grief-stricken families and the worldwide community, for their compassion in wanting to make a difference to the most disenfranchised and desperate men, women and children in our febrile and dangerous world today.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

Are we really going to stand by and continue to arm Israel when British aid workers in Gaza are the ones being killed? Yes, in conflict and war, mistakes are made. But when hospitals, doctors, schools, journalists, women, children and aid workers are so regularly targeted, let’s not hear the familiar refrain that this “may” be a war crime.

These are war crimes. And they are being committed on an unprecedented scale, with unparalleled savagery.

Stefan Wickham

Westerham

The Independent’s recent editorial on Benjamin Netanyahu is a stark summary of how the current impasse has been reached, with more than 35,000 civilian lives lost.

Netanyahu alone is not to blame. His US backers won’t stand up to him and refuse to curtail military and financial aid. They are therefore complicit in every life lost. We British, who conceived the state of Israel through the flawed Balfour Declaration, must bear some responsibility. But still, we continue to supply arms.

We have become inured to the barbarity of this war. If we are to help bring it to an end, we have to stand up to America and tell them, in the words of Bob Dylan, that they do not have God, or the British, on their side.

David Hill

Waterlooville

Jane Crawley’s recent piece in The Independent is right to allude to the chilling plight of children in Gaza. The relentless violence has created a lost generation of children amid hunger, starvation, malnutrition, desperation and disease.

An entire generation of children will miss out on a life without fear or trauma.

No matter how this war concludes, for those young victims, the memories will be too much to bear, and the consequences will be felt for years to come.

Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London