A silent protest in support of those being killed in the bombing of Gaza was held at Accrington Town Hall.

Protestors held up placards in the public gallery during a council meeting in the Town Hall on Thursday.

About 15 people from all backgrounds and faiths took part in the protest which passed off peacefully.

Zed Hussain who helped to organise the event said: “We are conscious of the fact that our elected member of Parliament, Sara Britcliffe MP,  has issued a statement to the community about ‘humanitarian pauses’ to let aid in, but this does not address or reassure us in any way shape or form, given the IDF's (Israeli Defence Force) indiscriminate bombing campaign, which has targeted UN food warehouses, supplies, aid workers and to date the death of 67 UN staff.

“We are not asking Sara Britcliffe to back her 8th, 9th or 10th Tory candidate for Prime Minister. We are asking her to come off the fence and back calls for a ceasefire - if Sara Britcliffe is serious about addressing any of these concerns and grievances raised."

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Zed added: “We urge her to sign up to the Early Day Motion proposed by Richard Burgon on the 17 October, calling for a ceasefire. This needs to happen and she needs to take a principled and humanitarian stance. Nearly 100 MPs have already signed.

“An immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions. The present and future of Palestinians and Israelis depend on it.”

“Millions have been protesting throughout the country, half a million last weekend in London alone yet our elected representatives chose to ignore us or remain indifferent to our concerns.”

He said pressure has also been placed on Labour leaders within Hyndburn.

Zed added: "The pressure is working at a local level as we have had several labour councillors and the Hyndburn Labour party go against the leadership in calling for an immediate ceasefire. We are yet to see the same from our local Tory party and their councillors which is disappointing.”

Earlier this week, Ms Britcliffe met with members of the local Muslim community at the Ghausia Rizvia Jamia Masjid in Accrington.

She said: “Communities in our home are understandably concerned right now with the unfolding events in Gaza and it is only right that their Member of Parliament hears these concerns and feeds them back in to government.

“I outlined my concerns, particularly around aid, while community representatives from Mosques across Hyndburn and Haslingden provided their views that I committed to feeding into the Foreign Office.

"The loss of life we are seeing in Gaza is devastating, particularly children. What we need is peace and a two state solution.

“I have also been incredibly grateful to Hyndburn councillors Sajid Mahmood and Mohammed Younis over the last couple of weeks who have been keeping me regularly updated on the concerns of those in their wards.”

More than 9,000 people, many of them women and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army since October 7 when Israel launched its military response to the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Aid agencies are battling a humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged territory with limited resources, amid calls for the Government to increase their efforts.

When pressed on a number of issues relating to the emergency, the MP in correspondence with Zaed, said the UK 'has long held the position that there should be a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.'

And added that, 'the UK has in the past been clear that the demolition of Palestinian homes and new Israeli settlements in the OPTs causes unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and has called into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution, and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Law.'

She also told Zaed that, 'In light of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Prime Minister has been clear that this country has a zero tolerance approach for anti-Muslim hatred in any form. The Government will seek to stamp it out wherever it is seen.'