Twenty MPs are among 450 signatories of an open letter calling for Israeli authorities to release a fire engine donated to Palestinian firefighters.
Fire Brigades Union members in Scotland donated a fire engine last year, packed with firefighting kit, equipment, and medical supplies, and arranged delivery to the port of Ashdod to be transported to Nablus in the West Bank.
It has been impounded by Israeli customs at the port since July 2024 despite having the necessary paperwork.
In November, firefighters and supporters held a demonstration outside the London embassy to demand the release of the fire engine.
The letter, signed by firefighters, trade unionists and MPs, calls for the immediate release of the fire engine so that it can be safely delivered to aid firefighters in Nablus.
The full statement reads:
As firefighters and fire and rescue service workers, members of the Fire Brigades Union, other trade unionists, Members of Parliament and campaigners for justice and human rights, we are calling for safe release of the fire engine sent by FBU Scotland to aid Palestinian firefighters – but impounded by the Israeli authorities.
This appliance, packed with firefighting kit, personal protective equipment, breathing apparatus, cutting tools and medical supplies, was sent for use by the Palestinian fire and rescue service in Nablus, in the West Bank. It has been held in the Israeli port of Ashdod since July 2024.
In November London firefighters and supporters demonstrated outside the Israeli embassy to demand its release. We add our voices to this call, so that the fire engine can be used for its intended purpose, to help firefighters in Palestine save lives.
Signed by:
Colin Brown, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Executive Council member for Scotland
Steve Wright, FBU General Secretary
Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth
John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington
Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East
Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South
Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside
Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central
Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire
Seamus Logan, MP for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
Steve Witherden, MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr
Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East
Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
Mary Kelly Foy, MP for City of Durham
Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East
Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East
Neil Duncan-Jordan, MP for Poole
Grahame Morris, MP for Easington
Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse
Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South
Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood
Patricia Ferguson, MP for Glasgow West
Adrian Ramsay, MP for Waveney Valley
Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North
Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland
Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland
Tony Woodley (House of Lords)
Gus Sproul, FBU Scotland Chair
Riccardo la Torre, FBU National Officer
Mark Rowe, FBU National Officer
Ian Murray, FBU National President
Andrew Scattergood, FBU Executive Council
Jamie Newell, FBU Executive Council
Joe Weir, FBU Executive Council
Val Hampshire, FBU Executive Council
Adam Taylor, FBU Executive Council
Kasey LeGall, FBU Black and Ethnic Minority Members Section Secretary
Mick Whelan, ASLEF General Secretary
Sarah Woolley, BFAWU General Secretary
Chris Kitchen, NUM General Secretary
David Habberjam, FBU Northumberland Chair
Steven Ratcliffe, FBU Cumbria Chair
Corneil Power, FBU London Black & Ethnic Minority Members
Simon Leroux, FBU Scotland North Area Secretary
Lee Hunter, FBU Merseyside Secretary
Matthew Senior, FBU Avon Chair
Karl Wager, FBU Cleveland Chair
Neil Stuart, FBU Warwickshire Secretary
Adam Barnes, FBU Warwickshire Vice Chair
Blake Kelly, FBU Isle of Man Chair
Tom Sloan, FBU, London
Sacha Ismail, FBU and UNISON, London
Jon Wharnsby, FBU, London
Philippa Smith, FBU, West Midlands
Brendan Woodhouse, FBU, Nottinghamshire
Walid Thabet, FBU, Scotland
Waleed Iqbal, FBU, West Midlands
Aurangzeb Taj, FBU, West Midlands
John Sims, FBU, West Midlands
Mark Fox, FBU, Avon
Janine McCumiskey, FBU, Dorset and Wiltshire
Kelly Rogers, FBU, London
Larson Taylor, FBU, Dorset and Wiltshire
Andy Williams, FBU Merseyside
Neil Bevan, FBU, Hereford and Worcester
Danny Jacobs, FBU, Avon
Joe Butler, FBU, Avon
Luis Peña Carbajal, FBU, London
Michelle Crossman, FBU, Avon
Mark Stringer, FBU, London
Phil Waring, FBU, Merseyside
Izazul Ali, FBU, London
Andy Warren, FBU, London
Joe Birch, FBU, London
Helen Rogers, FBU, Avon
Sam Sellick, FBU, Kent
Robert Hewitt, FBU, Kent
Stevie Molloy, FBU, Kent
Jason Erskine, FBU, Avon
Anthony Cowley, FBU, Avon
Ellie Flaherty, FBU, Merseyside
Daniel Lorenzo, FBU, Merseyside
Shefik Vurdu, FBU, London
Emily Bennett, FBU, Warwickshire
Kieren Hagan, FBU, Warwickshire
Adam McKenzie, FBU, Warwickshire
Simon Maddams, FBU, Warwickshire
William Scott, FBU, Warwickshire
Ria Ockenden, FBU, Dorset and Wiltshire
Jessica Gould, FBU, Warwickshire
Joshua Deakin, FBU, West Midlands
Jim Malone, retired FBU member, Scotland
Anthony Appadoo, FBU, Hertfordshire
Rob Lewis, FBU, Lancashire
Alessandro Gourley, FBU, Cornwall
Michael Higgs, FBU, London
Andrew Rogers, Merseyside
Anthony Mcaspurn, FBU, London
Vassiliou Philip, FBU, London
Monika Rusinova, FBU, London
Lindsey Blake, FBU, Durham and Darlington
Eleanor Hathaway, FBU, South Wales
Karen Kennedy, FBU, Cornwall
Hollie Codling, FBU, Durham and Darlington
Max Alexander, FBU, London
Steve Nutt, FBU, Avon
Mark Chapman, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Adam Jones, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Rob Martin, FBU, Buckinghamshire
Elliot Tierne, FBU, Buckinghamshire
Steve Sawyer, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Alan Richens, FBU, Oxfordshire
Mark Pettifer, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Lisa Hicks, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Tommy Stevens, FBU, Buckinghamshire
Ethan, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Kieron Thomas, FBU, Buckinghamshire
John Walker, FBU, Buckinghamshire
Dave Benfield, FBU, Hereford and Worcester
Gareth Smith, FBU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Jack Richards, FBU, Buckinghamshire
Mark White, FBU, Scotland
Andrew Forster, FBU, Berkshire
Sam Underwood, FBU, Oxfordshire
Keith Massam, FBU out-of-trade member, Malvern
Chris George, FBU, Hereford and Worcester
Alan Davies, FBU out-of-trade member, Worcestershire
Andrew Faizey, FBU, Hereford and Worcester
Shahbaz Khan, FBU, West Midlands
Brian Harris, FBU, Tyne and Wear
Scott MacKellar, FBU, Scotland
James Collier, FBU, Greater Manchester
Stephen Crumlish, FBU, Scotland
Mark Charlton, FBU, Greater Manchester
Stephen Gregory, FBU, West Midlands
Leah Grimbleby, FBU, Cheshire
Monique Hollinshead, FBU, Cheshire
Sean Carlisle, FBU, Lancashire
Aarron Crowley, FBU, Greater Manchester
Marc Titley, FBU, Cheshire
Caroline Lech, FBU, Scotland
David Kenny, FBU, Scotland
Danny Jones, FBU, South Wales
Leon Johnson, FBU, West Midlands
Erika George, FBU, Hereford and Worcester
Cerith Griffiths, FBU out-of-trade member, Carmarthenshire
Claude Elliott, FBU, Gloucestershire
Mohammed Ayub, FBU, West Midlands
Baran Gedik, FBU, London
Shaun Martland, FBU, Merseyside
Michael Alston, FBU out-of-trade member, Manchester; NEU District H&S Officer, Environmental Officer
Paul Robson, FBU, Merseyside
Riaz Niaz, Lancashire
Saeed Molvi, Lancashire
James Tuffley, Buckinghamshire
Ben Liles, Kent
Anthony Aberdeen, Avon
Rachael Sharp, Avon
Sharon Allan, London Fire Brigade UNISON
Steve North, UNISON national President (pc)
Andrea Egan, UNISON National Executive Council member
Julia Mwaluke, UNISON Vice President (pc)
Lyn Marie O’Hara, UNISON Vice President (pc)
Stephen Smellie, UNISON NEC
Libby Nolan, UNISON NEC
Jordan Rivera, UNISON NEC
Kath Owen, UNISON NEC
Lorraine Thomson, UNISON NEC
Andrew Verrecchia, UNISON NEC
Kevin Corran, UNISON NEC
Riley Gibson, UNISON National Young Members Committee Member, Sheffield
Jocelyn Cruywagen, UNISON, London
Sjaan Heemskerk, UNISON, Southend-on-Sea
Susan Shannon, UNISON West Dunbartonshire Health & Safety Officer
Karen Reissmann, UNISON Greater Manchester mental health branch retired members officer Manchester
Christine Collins, UNISON, Bolton
Jay Kidd-Morton, UNISON (ex-branch secretary), London
Michael Spencer, UNISON Central and East Berks branch membership officer
Anisah Khwaja, UNISON, London
Simon Midgley, UNISON, Huddersfield
Reece Weatherburn, UNISON, Cornwall Trades Council
Kirsty Cessford, UNISON, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Susan Charnley, UNISON rep, Hamilton
Susan Tibbles, UNISON Branch Secretary job share - administrative duties, Oxford
Alison Mesher, UNISON (Steward, safety rep, branch vice chair, branch LGBT+ officer) Poole
Paul Nicoll, UNISON, Scotland
Hazel Marshall, UNISON South Lanarkshire
Daniel Round, UNISON, Kidderminster
Mal Ferguson, UNISON, Liverpool
Hannah Goodwin-Sharman, UNISON steward, Bristol
Thomas Skelton, UNISON South Lanarkshire
Evelyn Wilson, UNISON, Hamilton
Ian Doig, UNISON, South Lanarkshire
Paul Windsor, UNISON National LGBT+ Committee and South West Regional Committee
Pauline Bailey, UNISON Retired Members Chair, Leeds
Paul, UNISON, Bristol
Martin Thurlow, UNISON, Luton
David Kirk, UNISON, Leeds
John Moloney, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Assistant General Secretary
Emma Runswick, British Medical Association Deputy Chair (pc)
Farhana Uddin, Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) University of London Chair
Vicky Blake, University and College Union NEC
Ian Hodson, Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union National President
Rhian Elinor Keyse, UCU NEC
Debbie Reay, ASLEF
Tahir Latif, Greener Jobs Alliance
Matthew Hull, Green Party of England and Wales Trade Union Liaison Officer
Ellie Clarke, PCS National Executive Committee
Vijay Menezes-Jackson, PCS NEC and Scottish Executive Committee
Margaret Remana, Goldsmiths UCU Co-President
Natalie Kopytko, UCU School Rep, Leeds University
Christopher Ford, GMB member, London
Michelle Lincoln, Portsmouth City UNISON, UNISON Community Service Group Executive
Surinder Kaur, University of Bristol UNISON International Officer
Elle Chilton-Knight, Co-Communications Officer, University of Bristol UNISON
Steven Roberts, TSSA, President of Crewe & District Trades Unions Council. Crewe
Audrey White, Vice Chair, MPA Unite the Union
John Owens, BFAWU, Liverpool
Curtis Tierney, BFAWU, Cardiff
Peter Pyne, BFAWU, Essex
Kevin Flood, BFAWU, Belfast
Michael Blundred, BFAWU, Stoke on Trent
Sean Molloy, BFAWU, Leeds
Colin Foster, Alliance for Workers’ Liberty
Holly Kal-Weiss, UK Friends of Standing Together Steering Group member
Graham Campbell, Scottish National Party NEC (BAME Chair) and SNP Socialists Co-Convener
Fatima Al-Najafi, Friends of Standing Together London
Clara Paillard, Unite the Union, Liverpool
Tony Jillings, Unite the Union, Oxford
Glada Lahn, Prospect union, London
Phil Maxwell, Merseyside Pensioners Association
Maija Kallioinen, PSC, London
Venera Nurgazieva, United Tech and Allied Workers (Communication Workers’ Union), London
Jacob, London Renters Union
Albert Salimov, Unite Parliamentary Branch
Linden Ash, Unite
Daniel Church, Unite the Union, Cambridge
Charlotte Smith, PCS, Manchester
Martin Bainger, UNISON, Cambridge
Safia Shaikh, Naamod, London
Torr UCL UCU, London
P Cannell, Scot.E3
Saltanat Amir, University of Cambridge PhD student
Richard Tarbox, emergency services, London
Graham Dawson, UCU retired member, Brighton
Adulis Afowerki, union member, London
Shanthie Wild, UNISON member, Bristol
Soraya Safazadeh, UNISON workplace rep Bristol
Michael Vaughan, UNISON Branch Secretary Staffordshire
Stephe Meloy, Musicians Union
Karen Tily, ASLEF health and safety rep, London
Dr Gen Doy, retired UCU member, London
Kate Scott-Gatty, PSC Bristol
Aleks Palanac, University of Leicester
Darren, NHS Bristol
Julietta Schoenmann, Bristol Palestine Alliance
Angus Mackenzie, NEU member, Tewkesbury
Firoza, home care, Dewsbury
Edward Sutton, Lewisham PSC Chair
Emma Elizabeth, Stop The War, Kingston upon Thames
Andrea Gilbert, GMB K-19 Rep London
Meryem, Friends of Standing Together, London
Giovanna Potts, UNISON member, Cheadle
Jon Lansman, Unite, London
Maryam Hally, Scottish Artists Union, Stop the War Coalition Glasgow
Nina Hammill, UNISON, crew
Lesley Catchpowle, UCU, London
Emma, YPA, UNISON, York
Joe Irving, Tipping Point tech lead
Philip Edwards, Unite, London
Christian Goulart McNerney, PCS union, Edinburgh
Leslie Hearn, NEU, London
George Gray, UNISON, Woking
Billy Rine, PCS, London
Sofia Karim, independent human rights activist, London
Linda Walker, Co-ordinator, High Peak Green New Deal
Jenny Patient, Unite Sheffield Not for Profit
Steve Skinner, UCU
Dilys Beaumont, Unite Community
Margaret Smith, Unite Community
Rachel Spence, NUJ London
Katharine Johnston, UCU member, Lincolnshire
Lionel Openshaw, UCU London
Sabah Boufkhed, UCU, member of the executive committee at University of Manchester London
May Angel, NUJ, London
Victoria Araj, University of Lincoln UCU Membership Secretary
Pat Sikorski, RMT - Former Assistant General Secretary
Linda, UNISON retired member, Peterborough
Becky Arnold, PSC Nottingham
Yasmin, NEU, Derby
Barbara Labiejko, UCU, London
Andrea Clarke, Unite Community Lincolnshire Treasurer
Vanessa Pool, Unite Branch Equalities officer, Chair Peterborough Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Linda Rooney, Unite, Lincoln
Ian Rushby, Unite Lincolnshire
Beulah Lowry, UNISON, Gosport
Shabnam Noreen, RCN, Bradford
Akshaya Shekaran, PCS, London
Sophia Lycouris, Equalities Officer of UCU Edinburgh branch
Alan Thomson, UNISON, Glasgow
Tony Wright, Unite, Cambridgeshire
Arthur Nicoll, Dundee City UNISON
Natalie Pettifer, NEU, Isle of Wight
Denise Vaughan, NASUWT, Staffordshire
Martin Kelly, Unite cab section, Hamilton
Sarah Joss, UCU HWU Branch Chair Edinburgh
Kevin Pattison, Unite community Leeds chair
Fiona Kelbie, UNISON steward, Lanark
Nigel Bubb, UCU Leeds
Annabell Knapp, International officer, Goldsmiths University UCU
Gary Brooke, NASUWT, Manchester
Will Stephens, Unite - Section of Architectural Workers, London
Denise Taylor, Unite – SAW, London
Seán, Unite, London
Jean Roberts, NEU, London
Rob Williams, Unite & NSSN London
Joseph Elbourn, Unite the Union branch treasurer LE/801, London
Chris Neville, Unite Salford branch chair
John Cooper, Unite, Liverpool
Alena Ivanova, IWGB charity workers branch Glasgow
Brian Jools, UCU Leeds
Jay, Socialist Party SE London branch secretary
Barbara Veale, GMB, London
Mette Wiggen, UCU, Leeds
Dominique, Unite, Yorkshire
Caroline Lewis, LBL, Bristol
Joseph O’Toole, Another Europe is Possible National Committee
Paddy Patrick, RNC, Cheltenham
Florence Germain, Unite, Dundee
Christopher Butler, RMT Shipley
Dave Barter, NEU International Solidarity Organising Forum) and Oldham East & Saddleworth CLP (Vice Chair) Oldham
Anja Komatar, UCU Leeds
Gayle Figueroa-Shaw, Unite Community Norwich
Mary Owen, NEU Leeds
Afshan Hussain, NEU rep, Leeds
John Illingworth, NEU, Nottingham
Jenny Day, NEU, Leicestershire
Graham Korn, NEU, Orpington
Jill Hazeldine, NEU, Oxfordshire
Phil Bloomfield, NEU workplace rep Southwark
Eileen Dreyer, UNISON, Bury St Edmunds
Victoria Jaquiss, Musicians Union and NEU, Leeds
Kauser Jan, NEU, Leeds
Dr Paul Evans, BMA and Doctors in Unite, Gateshead
Dr Faisal Yousif, BMA/Doctors in Unite, London
Claire Norman, BMA Cardiff
Matthew Hobbs, NEU (Luton Committee Member), Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (Councillor)
Michael Walford, Unison Stoke-on-Trent
Tom Jenkins, GMB, London
Pam Tatlow, Unite, London
Linda Hughes, PCS, Darlington
David Fellows, retired UNISON member, Brighton
Uri Horesh, UCU, St Andrews
Roddy Shippin, Unite, Edinburgh
Judith Lemkin, Association of Educational Psychologists, London
Elsie Price-Armsby, UNISON retired member, London
Claire Hallam, Unite, London
Yvonne Davies, Unite, Hereford
David Myles, Unite, Glasgow
Toby McDonald, British Medical Association - Edinburgh Medical School Representative to Medical Students' Committee Edinburgh
Emma Gray, NEU, London
Kas Witana, UNISON, Sheffield
George Ramsay, Unite the Union, Dundee
Mike Arnott, Dundee TUC
Nick, Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association; Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign & PSC Dundee
Praveen Kolloguri, Prospect - EOAC committee member, London
Megan Fallan, media industry, Glasgow
Jean Roberts, NEU, London
Olena Ivashchenko, Campaign for Ukraine
Sam Vickers, BFAWU, Barnsley
Judith Swift, Unite, Manchester
Janet Newsham, Unite, Preston
Ellen Kettell, IWGB, London
Swithun Crowe, UCU, St Andrews
Natalie Ridge, UCU, Fife
Helen Hart, Leeds
Fraser Duff, Dunfermline
Elizabeth Thompson
Katy Brown, Liverpool
Sally Morgan, Leeds
Teresa Murphy, Belfast
James Cheverton, Accrington
Steven Burak, London
Lydia Phillips
Heather Clare, Derbyshire
Chayley Collis, Huddersfield
Catherine Porritt
Judy Paskell, Manchester
David Jeffrey, London
Veronica Cieliniska, Northampton
Pete Cowley, Bristol
Charlie Ballantine, Northampton
Keira Bailey, Devon
Kriya Kpahimna, Newport
Olly Mayo, London
Afia Yaqub, Birmingham
Mariam Pachachi, London
Matilda Whitehead
Sarah Alalul, London
Dave Lukes, London
Kate Hicks, Gloucestershire
Fintan Malone, London
Deborah Lindley, London
Hamzah Laimon, Milton Keynes
Corinne Pinfold, Sheffield
Najla, London
Abigail O’Neill, London
Andrew, North Lincolnshire
Saul Cooper, Cardiff
Arif Bobat, London
Sarah Chapman, London
Avie Littler, London
Nicola Brennan, Bristol
Sarah Philps, London
Susie Winstanley, Hitchin
Kevin Wilkie, Lancashire
Camilla Bruggen
Linda Reid, London
Heather Mackenzie, Hounslow
Chris Edwards, London
Leon Day-Nicholls, Bristol
Andrew Hickling, Oxford
Jim Trobec, London
Clare Lister, Frome
Jo Hickey-Hall, Bristol
Pauline Godwin, Kingston upon Thames
Joanna Killingley, London
Roger Kaufman, York
Rui Palma, London
Anna Hoyles, Louth
Debi Morris, Lincolnshire
Tayyba Ali, Derby
Chiara Contrino, London
Elaine Jones, Halstead
Janet Harriman, Peterborough
Claire Shapiro, London
Jill Azzouzi, Liverpool
John Hall, Shipley
Sam Dobbins, Peterborough
Hinnd Naser, Nottingham
Samira Aminian, Ipswich
Aga, Cambridgeshire
Rachel Diamond, Cambridge
Gurpreet, Cambridge
Alys Samuel-Thomas, Llanelli
Brian Cook, Suffolk
Eamonn Murphy, Co. Down
Martyn Goodwin-Sharman
Sarah Jones, Milton Keynes
Kevin Wilkie, Lancashire
Jack Fellows, Chester
Paul Marine, Hampshire
Davina Barnett, Cornwall
Mohsin Ali, Walsall
Ghousia Javid, Copenhagen
