Political leaders in Glasgow have issued a renewed call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

A statement has been released by the SNP, Labour and Green groups on the city council as a delegation of educational psychologists from Bethlehem visited the City Chambers.

The three political groups on the council, which account for 82 of the city’s 84 councillors at present, stated they condemned all acts of terror and collective punishment.

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The leaders of the parties, on behalf of their members called for an end to the killings.

The statement read: “On the occasion of the timely visit of a delegation to the City Chambers from our twin city of Bethlehem, we jointly renew the call we made at our meeting of 26 October 2023 for an immediate, full and lasting ceasefire in the war in Gaza, and to reiterate our condemnation of acts of terror and the use of collective punishment.

“We express our deep sorrow and horror that more than 27,000 Palestinians have now been killed by Israel, including more than 10,000 children, and that many more have had their homes destroyed and have been forced into appalling living conditions.”

The two Conservative councillors in the city, Thomas Kerr and John Daly, did not sign the letter.

It also referred to the International Court for Justice which places six actions on Israel to do all it can to prevent genocide and refrain from harming or killing Palestinians.

The statement continued: “We commit to taking the necessary steps to ensure that the practices and policies of Glasgow City Council are not at risk of inadvertently enabling genocide.”

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The group leaders stated: “We are glad to have the opportunity to welcome colleagues from Bethlehem to Glasgow and express our solidarity with and condolences to them and with all Palestinians, particularly the many thousands who have lost their loved ones, homes and health to the violence inflicted on Gaza; as we also reiterate our solidarity and sympathies with the Israeli civilians and others who have lost loved ones to Hamas terrorism and kidnapping and note that this was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.”

The councillors urged vigilance against any hate crime in Glasgow related to the ongoing situation in Gaza.

The statement concluded: “We are also aware that many Jewish and Muslim people alike in Glasgow have felt less secure in these last months and renew our determination to be alert to and stand up against antisemitic and Islamophobic discrimination and hate crime, which must have no place in our city.”