This is when one country seizes military control over another country’s territory.

In the case of Palestine, Israel has illegally seized control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. These areas are now under occupation.

Israel denies Palestinians their right to self-determination, as well as their right to movement and access to water. Palestinians education, health and work rights are also undermined daily.

A siege is when an area is surrounded and cut off from essential supplies. Gaza has been under an air, land and sea siege by Israel since 2007. This means there are extremely tight Israeli restrictions on what can go in and out of Gaza, including aid.

 Food, water, medicine and fuel are all scarce. 95% of children in Gaza are traumatised, malnourished and/or suffer from severe depression. Over 97% of water in Gaza is unfit for human consumption.

 This is a crisis with a political solution: Israel’s siege of Gaza must end.

Apartheid is a system where one racial group controls another through cruel and prolonged discrimination which is embedded in the legal system. It was originally used to describe the institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa.

Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Palestinians have said that Israel is practicing apartheid against them for decades. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Israeli NGO B’Tselem have recently released reports confirming that Israel is practicing apartheid against Palestinians.

We must take action to end this injustice.

BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

 BDS is a Palestinian-led movement calling on individuals, businesses and governments to take peaceful action against Israel until it abides by international law.

 This includes boycotting, divesting from and sanctioning the businesses and governments involved in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.