A woman has sent locks of hair from her shaved head to politicians urging them to call for a ceasefire to end the Israel/Gaza crisis.
Sarah Montgomery, who lives in Crouch End, joined ten other women who shaved their heads outside the Houses of Parliament on March 19 in solidarity with women in Gaza.
The women, aged between 18 and 73, laid their hair in front of the gates alongside the message “UK Government is complicit with genocide in Gaza”.
They highlighted the Government’s refusal at that point to call for an immediate ceasefire, failure to demand an end to the unlawful blockade of food, water and humanitarian aid, and continued profiting from UK-based production and sale of arms to Israel.
On April 5, Sarah, 73, sent a lock of her hair to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary Sir David Cameron, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman MP and Hornsey and Wood Green MP Catherine West.
The former film and video producer said: "I shaved my hair in solidarity with the women of Gaza who not only lack water to wash their hair but water to drink, cook and give to their children.
"They are dying from dehydration and starvation and are not able to care for their families. They search in amongst the rubble, hoping to retrieve a parent, spouse, sibling, son or daughter alive. Their fear, grief and loss is immeasurable and immense.
"I’m afraid that until governments condemn the genocide, stop arming Israel, and refuse to stand by and take no meaningful action, it will carry on like this."
On October 7 the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas sent fighters across the border into Israel killing more than 1,000 people and taking some 200 hostages into Gaza.
The Palestinian death toll from the war since has passed 33,000, with nearly 76,000 wounded, Gaza’s health ministry said.
Sarah, who is also a volunteer for Haringey Tree Protectors and Extinction Rebellion over climate issues, said she is part of a WhatsApp group with women as far away as Mexico and Venezuela all shaving their heads in solidarity with Gaza.
Catherine West MP said: “No one can ignore the suffering that innocent Palestinian men, women and children are experiencing daily in Gaza.
"The war must end now, and I desperately hope the latest peace talks in Egypt will achieve results.
"In Parliament, Labour will continue calling for an immediate ceasefire, the return of all the hostages, and full humanitarian access into Gaza to get food, water and urgent aid to the people who need it most.”
In a policy paper, the Government says Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into and through Gaza, particularly to the north.
Foreign Secretary Sir David Cameron told Willie Geist of Morning Joe in America that while he supported Israel's right to self defence, Israel must prosecute this war according to rules of humanitarian law.
He added: "We need more aid. We need to avoid a famine in Gaza. But of course, we should continue to support the idea that Hamas leaders cannot stay in Gaza.
"We can't expect Israel to live next to a terrorist state. So that's what we've got to get right."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here