LONDON
About 100 of Britain and Ireland’s most celebrated mothers urged the British government to act Thursday in the face of a "deepening maternity crisis" in the Gaza Strip.
Celebrities, including Juliet Stevenson, Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton and Joanna Lumley, wrote a letter on Mumsnet -- a London-based internet platform for parents with children and teens.
"While sharing the magic of Christmas with our children, it was heartbreaking to see images of little boys and girls just like ours in flooded tents and without food or warmth or medical support in Gaza, after everything they’ve already been through," said the letter.
It came in the wake of Israel’s controversial decision to ban 37 internationally renowned charities, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The signatories expressed concern that women in Gaza are giving birth in "unimaginable conditions," with many alone and at high risk.
In the meantime, they noted that four brand-new state-of-the-art Mobile Maternity Clinics, which were "all refused entry," are waiting across the border in Egypt.
'We believe UK citizens have a responsibility'
"In Gaza, we are witnessing the incredible capacity of mothers and fathers to love and nurture and take care of their children against all odds, but love alone cannot replace food, shelter, materials to let them live," according to the letter.
"As the Israeli government (who are blocking the aid) is supported by the British government, we believe UK citizens have a responsibility to insist on the delivery of this vital aid," it said.
They urged Mumsnet to demand the UK government insist Israel "immediately allows" the entry of mobile maternity clinics, full access for independent NGOs such to deliver full humanitarian aid and the delivery of sanitary pads and other essential menstrual and hygiene supplies for women and girls.
Israel has closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing since May 2024, as part of its two-year offensive on Gaza, which has killed more than 71,400 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023.
The Palestine resistance group, Hamas, has released all living Israeli captives in its custody and the remains of 28 under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement that took effect Oct. 10. The Palestinian group said it is still searching for the body of the last Israeli captive amid widespread destruction in the enclave.
Since the ceasefire agreement took effect, the Israeli army has committed hundreds of violations, killing 422 Palestinians and wounding 1,189, according to the Palestine Health Ministry.