William Bell, Christian Aid's Head of Middle East Policy and Advocacy, said:
“The half-baked plan to force more than a million displaced civilians out of Rafah into so-called ‘humanitarian islands’ further north beggars belief.
“It’s like forcing the entire population of Birmingham out of the city.[1] And the suggestion that they will be safe simply cannot be given credence.
“How long will it take to build and equip these islands? And how much longer to get people to them?
“With Gaza on the brink of famine, children dying of malnutrition and desperate families reportedly eating grass to survive, men, women and children need life-saving aid now.
“Instead of going along with this preposterous idea the international community – the UK Government included – needs to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and stop arming Israel. This might be genocide. It is not for us to decide. But it is our responsibility to ensure our Government does all it can to prevent it.”
End
[1] The population of Birmingham was 1,144,900 in 2021 according to the Office for National Statistics Birmingham population change, Census 2021 – ONS
