A year on from Hamas’ brutal 7 October attack, the need for diplomatic intervention has never been more important

It is a year to the day since the atrocious terror attack on Israel by Hamas, where they brutally murdered hundreds of people and took 255 people hostage. The 1200 victims killed include 800 civilians, many women and children, ranging from weeks old babies to the elderly. They were attacked in their homes, at their places of work, in safe rooms and at a music festival, with the terrorists capturing their deplorable attacks on camera and broadcasting them.

Whatever our views on the bitter dispute with Palestinians and the injustices they face, nothing can justify such evil.

The sheer scale of death and destruction was the largest the Jewish community had suffered since the Holocaust. It is a trauma few of us can comprehend. But sadly the nightmare did not end there.

There are an estimated 97 hostages that are still being held in Gaza, of which 64 are believed to still be alive . A further 112 were released and 8 were rescued, while the bodies of 37 others have been retrieved from Gaza.

On top of this, Israel has faced ongoing bombardment from Hezbollah, a powerful militia in Lebanon that is supported by Iran. The relentless rocket attacks have caused some 135,000 people to be displaced from their homes northern Israel.

There isn’t a nation on the planet who would not respond to these attacks and kidnappings, and the UK - like many other states around the world - have respected Israel’s right to defend itself.

Yet this conflict has escalated to such dangerous proportions that some 42,000 Gazans have been killed and close to 100,000 injured, the situation exacerbated by the fact 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have been destroyed by Israel while the remaining 17 are only partially functioning.

Life as we know it has ceased in Gaza where 2.5 million people are displaced, living in tents and partially destroyed buildings without sanitation and struggling for food and water. They live in constant fear of death as rockets rain down on them at all hours of the day.

The collective punishment of the people of Gaza, where most buildings and infrastructure have been destroyed by Israel, breaches international humanitarian laws and codes governing warfare. It is a human catastrophe playing out in front of our eyes.

The conflict has now spread to Lebanon, where over 1 million people - a fifth of the entire population - are displaced. At least 1,400 people have been killed since September of this year and parts of the country are starting to resemble Gaza.

There are real fears this war could engulf the entire region with Iran and Israel said to lock horns, resulting in many more casualties.

It’s why we in the UK need to double down on a diplomatic solution to end this conflict for all.

Hamas must immediately release all the remaining hostages, whilst pressure needs to be brought to bear on all parties for an immediate multilateral ceasefire, so sufficient humanitarian aid can reach those in need in Gaza and Lebanon.

The international community must insist on Israel recognising the rights of Palestinians to a viable, independent state that reflects the 1967 borders, which can peacefully co-exist with Israel.

To that end, Israel must end its blockade of Gaza and its illegal occupation of the West Bank, with land stolen by Israeli settlers returned to Palestinians. The international community must also help permanently remove the threats to Israel’s security from the likes of Hamas and Hezbollah, and prevent Iran from further destabilising the region.

We also need to reflect on the impact of this conflict to those in Britain, particularly Jews, Israelis, Muslims and Palestinians.

I want to remind everyone not to let emotions get the better of them. British Jews are not responsible for Israel in the same way that British Muslims are not responsible for Hamas or Hezbollah.

This tragic anniversary is an opportunity to reset the situation that has led to a huge increase in Antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Those of us in politics need to do more to help bring people together rather than use rhetoric that divides us and drives up community tensions.

At our core we are all human and we all want a better future for our children then we need to focus on the common ground that binds and unites us.

My heart weeps for all those who have lost their lives, on both sides of this barbaric conflict.

We should all continue to strive for a peace solution that works for both Palestinians and for Israelis. A peaceful solution that ensures a viable state for both nations and gives security, justice, equality, dignity and prosperity to everyone.

Arran Angus is a local Liberal Democrat Campaigner for Grove Green