Calls to boycott PureGym have been sounded after its CEO expressed support for continued arms sales to Israel.
Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left crucial nearby aid crossings inaccessible and caused more than 100,000 people to flee north, a United Nations official said on Friday.
Israel’s plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah appear to be on hold for now, with the US deeply opposed and stepping up pressure by threatening to withhold arms. But even the more limited incursion launched earlier this week threatens to worsen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe.
Heavy fighting was also under way in northern Gaza, where Hamas appeared to have once again regrouped in an area where Israel has already launched punishing assaults.
About 110,000 people have fled Rafah and food and fuel supplies in the area are critically low, a UN official has said.
All crossings into southern Gaza remain closed, cutting off supplies and preventing medical evacuations and the movement of humanitarian staff.
Some 1.3 million Palestinians – more than half Gaza’s population – had sought refuge in Rafah, while the north remains largely isolated by Israeli troops, with 300,000 people there are experiencing “full-blown famine”.
Discussing the matter on Question Time, PureGym CEO Humphrey Cobbold said he would support continued arms sales to Israel.
The comments have led to several people on social media cancelling their membership with the gym, as evidenced below:
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