WE should rightly condemn the acts of violence by the Iranian regime against Israel. They were no more than a cynical attempt to exploit the suffering, pain and turmoil being experienced by the people in Palestine right now.

However, while we rightly condemn the violent acts of Iran, so too must we condemn the violent acts of Israel against the people of Gaza and call for an immediate ceasefire.

After Israel bombed an Iranian embassy in Syria, Iran responded with an attack of their own against Israel. The Foreign Secretary, Lord David Cameron, has been correct in his attempt to uphold the principle of proportionality.

Nevertheless, if Iran firing hundreds of missiles and drones in retaliation for an isolated attack on an embassy is correctly considered disproportionate, then surely, we must concede that Israel’s months of bombarding Palestine must also be considered disproportionate.

The position from the UK Government seems to be that they are calling for de-escalation and moderation in the Middle East, and yet in the same breath will not condemn Israel’s assault on innocent people in Gaza, which is arguably the greatest source of conflict in the region.

READ MORE: Scottish woman joins international aid convoy to Gaza

For nearly 200 days Israel has continued to bomb Gaza indiscriminately; 90% of buildings located on Gaza’s eastern border have been destroyed; more than 100,000 innocent Palestinians have either been killed or injured by Israeli forces.

The UN reported that the number of children killed by the Israeli military in Gaza is greater than the number of children killed in four years of wars around the world combined. Israel has also conducted more than 435 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza, killing at least 484 medical workers.

The Geneva Conventions, under international humanitarian law, protects healthcare workers delivering aid. Any strike against them is a categorical breach of international law.

Despite the International Court of Justice’s earlier ruling that Israel must take action to prevent genocidal acts, they have since had to issue a second set of measures relating to Israel’s duty to avoid a famine. Despite all this, aid deliveries halved in February.

The National:

Just last week the UN reported that 41% of its aid delivery requests to Gaza were denied by Israel. With families displaced and food and water scarcity, Gaza is in the grasp of a man-made famine.

The UK’s own policy regarding arms sales states that the criteria for halting arms sales only requires evidence that breaches of international law may have occurred. Despite the evidence in front of us, the UK Government continues to sell arms to Israel.

We know that the agenda in Tehran is to bring about as much instability as possible. We have a responsibility to ensure that does not happen. The Institute for the Study of War argues that Russian attacks on Ukraine were used as the model for Iran’s barrage of drones and missiles against Israel.

However, unlike Israel, Ukraine was unable to use fighter jets to shoot down large numbers of Russian drones and missiles.

READ MORE: UK declines to give Israel unqualified backing after 'strikes on Iran'

With support from UK and US Typhoon jets, Israel intercepted 99% of missiles. Ukrainian air defences have an average interception rate of 46%.

It is worth noting that Iran is a key ally of Putin’s Russia. If we are comfortable to fund and support Israel, despite the arguable war crimes, then we have no excuse for giving Ukraine any less support in its defence against Russia.

There is not going to be a military solution to the conflict in the Middle East. We know that Israel will not stop their military attacks unless there is intervention from the West – namely, a halt to the arms sales which makes the military action possible.

There must be a political and diplomatic solution, so what is required now is the same as what was required six months ago: we need de-escalation, and an end to the siege of Gaza. We need a ceasefire.