Hundreds Of British And Irish Writers Call For Boycotts Against Israel

Israeli military operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - More than 200 British and Irish writers wrote a letter calling for a "immediate and thorough boycott" of Israel, "until Gazans get adequate drinking water, food and medical supplies, and until all forms of aid and other necessities are returned to the Gazan people under the auspices of the United Nations."

"We demand the return of all hostages and those imprisoned without charges or courts from all parties. We demand an end to the violence of settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. We demand a ceasefire and an immediate and permanent cessation of violence by Hamas and Israel," they wrote, quoted from The Times of Israel August 7.

"By calling on and implementing this boycott, we expressly express our absolute rejection and hatred of antisemitism, anti-Jahudi prejudice, and anti-Israel. We reject and hate attacks, hatred, and violence - both in writing, orally, as well as actions - against the Palestinian people, Israel, and Jews in all forms," the letter continued.

Among the signatories were novelist Zadie Smith, Michael Rosen, Irvine Weld to writerbut Winterson.

"We stand in solidarity with the resistance of the Palestinian, Jewish and Israeli people to the current policies of the Israeli government's genocide. We note that prominent and respected Israeli and Jewish groups in Israel and other countries, including many of our co-authors, have recently called for serious sanctions and have an impact on Israeli institutions, which we add, only to, individuals who are objectively guilty. Boycott is the only sanction that an individual can apply," the letter read.

It is known that the latest conflict in Gaza broke out after a Palestinian militant group attacked Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023, leaving 1,200 people dead and another 251 held hostage according to Israeli calculations.

Israel responded to this by blocking, airstrikes and military operations in the Gaza Strip region.

Israel and the Palestinian militant group agreed to a ceasefire as well as exchange of hostages and detainees on January 19. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive. The majority of the initial hostages have been released through diplomatic negotiations, although the Israeli military has also released several hostages.

On March 2, Israel again carried out a total blockade against Gaza on the pretext of pressuring Palestinian militant groups to agree on a ceasefire proposed by the United States and a exchange of hostages. Over the end of the ceasefire agreement, Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18.

Meanwhile, medical sources on Tuesday confirmed that Palestinian deaths in Gaza since the Israeli aggression in October 2023 had reached 61,158, the majority of women and children, while the injured reached 151,442 people, as reported by WAFA.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen due to the blockade and lack of food and medical supplies. This severe hunger is closely related to the genocide war that Israel has waged since October 7, 2023.

Since March 2, 2025, occupation authorities have closed all crossings into the Gaza Strip, blocking the entry of most food and medical aids, which accelerates the spread of hunger in the Palestinian enclave.

UNRWA has previously warned that malnutrition in children under five has doubled between March and June due to the ongoing blockade.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms the level of malnutrition in Gaza has reached an alarming rate, with nearly one in five children under five under five in Gaza City suffering from acute malnutrition.