LONDON: More than 370 British and Irish authors, including acclaimed literary figures Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, and Hanif Kureishi, have signed an open letter denouncing what they describe as genocide in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid access.
Published Wednesday on the Medium platform, the powerful statement urges the global community to break its “collective silence and inaction in the face of horror.” The letter asserts that the use of the term “genocide” to describe the situation in Gaza is no longer disputed among leading international legal experts and human rights organizations.
“Palestinians are not the abstract victims of an abstract war,” the signatories wrote. “Too often, words have been manipulated to justify the unjustifiable, deny the undeniable, and defend the indefensible.”
The statement follows a similar appeal made just a day earlier by over 300 French-speaking writers — including Nobel Prize laureates Annie Ernaux and Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio — who also condemned what they termed as acts of genocide.
Among the British and Irish signatories are novelist Elif Shafak, playwright Hanif Kureishi, and members of PEN International’s Scottish and Welsh branches. The group demanded not only an immediate ceasefire, but also urgent access to food and medical supplies for Gaza and the imposition of sanctions on Israel to pressure it to end hostilities.
The letter comes amid growing global outcry over Israel’s escalating military campaign and its ongoing blockade of aid to Gaza. Israel intensified its operations after a ceasefire collapsed in March, and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of a catastrophic crisis unfolding in the besieged enclave.
“This is not only about our common humanity and all human rights; this is about our moral fitness as the writers of our time,” the statement read, emphasizing the responsibility of the literary community to speak out in times of injustice.
Adding to the rising chorus of concern, over 800 UK-based legal experts, including former Supreme Court justices, also issued a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer this week. Their letter warned that genocide is either underway in Gaza or that a serious risk of genocide exists — a message that amplifies the urgency of international intervention.
Protests in Paris
Meanwhile, activists in France staged a striking protest in central Paris on Wednesday. Demonstrators from Oxfam, Amnesty International, and Greenpeace poured red dye into the historic Fontaine des Innocents to symbolize the bloodshed in Gaza. Holding placards reading “Ceasefire” and “Gaza: Stop the Bloodbath,” the protesters called on the French government to take stronger action.
“This operation aims to denounce France’s slow response to an absolute humanitarian emergency,” the activist groups said in a joint statement.
Cécile Duflot, former French housing minister and now executive director of Oxfam France, criticized the government’s limited response to the crisis. “France cannot limit itself to mere verbal condemnations,” she said.
Clemence Lagouardat, who has been coordinating Oxfam’s humanitarian work in Gaza, added: “The people in Gaza need everything — food, water, medical supplies. It’s a matter of survival.”
Israel’s decision in March to block most aid entering Gaza has faced mounting criticism, with many international observers accusing Tel Aviv of exacerbating a humanitarian catastrophe. As the death toll rises and living conditions deteriorate, global pressure is intensifying for an immediate end to the siege and military operations.
The literary community’s letter adds a significant cultural voice to the growing demand for justice, accountability, and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
