A massive news story that has dominated the headlines since the beginning of the latest conflict, but one that I will hold my hands up and say I haven’t really covered on here.

The Israel-Gaza War.

We can never forget what happened on the 7th October 2023. 1,195 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage.

At this point we all realised Israel would have to respond and ultimately, the reasons were valued. Protect those who live on the border with Gaza and bring the hostages back.

But this has now turned into something else. It has gone on for too long.

It is estimated that more than 61,300 people have died in Gaza as a result of Israeli Military Operations.

As we know children make up a great amount of the population of Gaza, accounting for around 47%.

I believe in the right for any country to defend itself, but you only have to look at the pictures and hear the stories to realise it has gone on for too long.

Israel has the right to exist, and in the West we will continue to be an ally, but this cruel action that continues in Gaza must stop.

Hamas must be defeated, but not at the expense of all of those civilians – especially the amount of children. The more it affects, the more it will hamper and push the views of people in Gaza towards the side that the Israelis are trying to defeat.

The debate and conflicts across the region go back further than the 7th October 2023. This conflict, as great and as bloody as it is, is only a small part of that.

It feels though, at a time in history when people and countries across the world are realising the way forward is not war, that this conflict maybe a pivotal moment.

The latest is that Israel wants to control Gaza City.

This conflict needs to end. A ceasefire needs to be agreed, for the children more than anyone else. The hostages need to be returned.

Peace needs to exist in this region for everyone, more so for Israel. It’s people so be able to live in freedom and in peace. The same too for the people of Gaza.

We are all human beings.

I hope one day a new dawn will break across the region.