Cosmetics retailer Lush has shut down all of its physical stores and online shop for one day in protest over starvation in Gaza.
A statement on its website states it is showing solidarity while “the Israeli government is preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza”.
To do so, the company has closed all of its factories, websites and UK shops for Wednesday only.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied starvation is taking place in Gaza and has said that where there is hunger, it is the fault of aid agencies and Hamas.
The website home page of Lush now reads “stop starving Gaza” in large text, followed by “closed in solidarity”.
Posters with the same message are also hung in every window of the physical stores.
The company said it hopes the UK government notices and takes action “needed to bring an immediate stop to the death and destruction” in Gaza, including an end to arms sales to Israel.
It added that shutting shops is not an easy decision, and asked for forgiveness from customers for the inconvenience.
“However, we know that many of our customers share the same anxiety about the current situation in Gaza.”
A report by the world’s leading hunger monitor at the end of August stated that half a million people in Gaza City are suffering from famine.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) acknowledged that this situation is “entirely man-made”, and warned starvation is spreading rapidly.
The report was labelled an “outright lie” by Israel.
Lush, known for its unusual bath bombs and soaps, operates in more than 50 countries and has 104 shops in the UK and Ireland.
It said it is expecting further similar closures in other countries.
In the statement on its website Lush said it was losing a day of takings but that meant the UK government would lose a day of tax contributions from it.
The UN has said Israel is obliged under international humanitarian law to ensure food and medical supplies for Gaza’s population.
Israel has said there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and has disputed the health ministry’s figures on malnutrition-related deaths.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 63,633 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.
