LAST Friday evening, the Abergavenny branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign joined many other towns and cities across the UK to demand an end to the horrific and avoidable starvation in Gaza.

As has been noted elsewhere, “Starvation is not a side effect of war. It is a war crime. It is the purposeful denial of food, water, and medical aid - basic human rights to over two million people trapped in a place that has become an open-air prison.”

Approximately 100 people attended the event to offer their support and hear Betty Hunter from the PSC speak. Betty explained that as a country we can not ignore what is happening in Gaza without “Standing up and saying this, ‘Is not in our names!’”

She added, “We stand here in quiet and peace with our empty pots and pans symbolising the lack of food in Gaza. We hope that you will support us and at the end we may make a bit of a din, but we are here with people from Hereford, Clydach, Monmouth, Bridgend, Newport, Portsmouth, Abergavenny, and many other places.”

She said, “Abergavenny and District have now got a proud history of supporting the Palestinian people, and if you want to find out more, come visit us Saturday morning on the High Street between 11.30 am and 12.30 pm and look for us on Instagram."

The World Health Organisation has warned that malnutrition has reached a dangerous high in Gaza, with 63 deaths, including 24 children under five, occurring in July alone.

Reports show that nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished.

Two days after the Abergavenny protest, US President Donald Trump said, "You can't fake the images of real starvation" coming out of Gaza.

"They have to get food and safety right now. Those children look very hungry." He said, before adding, "I think Israel can do a lot."