We were shocked to see the horrors of war inflicted on the people of Ukraine last year and to witness its ongoing barbarism and cruelty.  Who would have thought that we would see those horrors magnified in the Middle East.

The massacre of innocent Israelis and the inevitable response that has delivered so much death and destruction on so many innocent Gazans has shocked the world.

Politicians are struggling to find the words to describe and understand these events whilst meaningful action to bring peace is left floundering in the wake of their stupefaction.

Our Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is doing all he can to work with regional leaders who are key to bringing about peace, humanitarian aid and reconstruction.

I unreservedly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and will do what ever I can as a Member of Parliament to work with all who can help bring peace to this troubled region.

I was grateful to the Bolton Council of Mosques for inviting me to hear their concerns and their condemnation of all wrongful violence on both sides of this conflict.  I, along with my Bolton colleagues and so many others right across the UK, will add our voices and efforts as we seek peace.

The situation is going to get far worse before it gets any better.

We need a sober approach to conflict resolution and take care not to inflame passions in the UK.  This is why Keir Starmer’s initial support for cutting off water and electricity to the Gazan people was so toxic as was the delay of nine days before he flipped his position to opposition.

In the coming days, weeks and months, the Prime Minister will be leading the British efforts to bring about peace and he knows that he cannot err, over promise or under perform because the lives of so many hang in the balance.

Aid getting into Gaza is woefully slow and it is the innocent who always suffer most in war.  We owe it to them and so others to bring about peace in the Middle East.