380 Poets and Writers from England and Ireland Call for Ceasefire, Condemn Ongoing Israeli Atrocities in Gaza
London – Nearly 380 writers from the United Kingdom and Ireland, including Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan, have signed an open letter condemning what they describe as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza and calling for an immediate ceasefire. The letter was published on the website Medium.
“In the face of horror, we call on our nations and the people of the world to break their silence and inaction,” the writers stated.
The letter further declared, “The use of the term ‘genocide’ or ‘acts of genocide’ to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer a subject of debate among international legal experts or human rights organizations.”
Israel has consistently denied accusations of genocide in its military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The British and Irish writers’ letter follows a similar statement issued a day earlier by 300 French-language writers—including Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux and Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio—who also condemned the violence as “genocide.”
“Palestinians are not abstract victims of an abstract war,” the UK and Irish writers emphasized. “Far too often, language has been used to justify the unjustifiable, deny the undeniable, and defend the indefensible.”
Among the signatories were novelist Elif Shafak, playwright Hanif Kureishi, and members of the Scottish and Welsh PEN clubs. They called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate delivery of food and medical aid, and sanctions against Israel.
International criticism has intensified as Israel escalated its military operations this month following the breakdown of a ceasefire, launching relentless airstrikes and imposing a humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip.
According to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, 53,977 people—most of them civilians—have been killed in Israel’s offensive since October 2023.
In contrast, an AFP tally based on official sources reports that 1,218 people were killed in Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 individuals were taken hostage. Of those, 57 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military claiming 34 of them are dead.
“This is not only about humanity and human rights,” the writers asserted. “It is about our moral credibility as the writers of our time.”
Earlier on Monday, over 800 UK-based legal experts, including former Supreme Court justices, wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stating, “Genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza—or, at a minimum, there is a serious risk of genocide occurring.”
The legal experts added, “Israel is committing serious violations of international law and threatening further breaches. The UK is legally obligated to take all reasonable steps within its power to prevent and punish genocide.”
