More than 150 people from the Hayes community have rallied together to try and find ways to secure justice and peace for people in Gaza.

Hayes Labour MP John McDonnell called a public meeting last night, Thursday, July 31, to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip is sandwiched between Israel and Egypt and has been a flashpoint in the Israel-Palestinian conflict for years.

Israel occupied Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war and only pulled its troops and settlers out in 2005. Israel considered this the end of the occupation but it still exercises control over most of Gaza's borders, waters and airspace. Egypt controls Gaza's southern border.

Health officials say some 1,460 Palestinians, mostly civilians and many children, have died in the conflict and sixty-three Israelis, mostly soldiers, have died.

Mr McDonnell said he has been sent more than 200 emails in the last 10 days from people calling out to help secure peace for Gaza in the conflict, causing him to organise last night's meeting at his constituency office in Pump Lane, Hayes.

"The meeting was completely packed, there was a huge group of people from right across the community," he said.

"There were people from all different religious backgrounds, all different ages, all wanting to help in some way and what came out of it was as a community asking how do we put pressure on Israel for a long term ceasefire and peace?

"We decided that as a community we would boycott Israeli goods. So tomorrow we are meeting in the town centre at 10am to rally and then visit local shops across Hayes and ask them to boycott Israeli goods - goods that come from occupied territories - and find alternative suppliers."

The campaigners will be meeting at the bandstand in Hayes Town Centre at 10am, and will then be asking shops along Coldharbour Lane, Hayes, and in surrounding roads, to stop selling Israeli goods in their shops.

Some of the goods imported from Israel or Israel-occupied territories include fruit, tinned fruit and other foods.

Follow the campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #Hayes4Gaza