A RETIRED nurse who spent many years in Palestine is one of the guest speakers at an event called Understanding Gaza next month.

Anne Bryce and her husband Graham will give a presentation on her experiences in Gaza and the West Bank.

Greenock Telegraph:

Anne, 70, who also worked in Inverclyde for 10 years, said she felt she had to speak out in light of what was happening in Gaza.

She said: "For me, at this time, speaking out about my experience of a people and a country that I love is like a moral imperative. I can't do nothing.

"Hopefully, rather than telling people what to think, we can give folks some things to think about.

"My first visit to Palestine was when I was in my 20s. For 45 years, I stayed in Palestine and East Jerusalem, I was made very welcome, people were very kind to me. I loved my time there, I loved the people.

"I found out all about the history, of 1948, and how they were dispossessed from their land and young people taken off the bus by the military.

"The whole place got into your heart, I have been out again a few times. I worked with younger people with mental health issues in Bethlehem."

She said she was distraught at what was happening and felt she had to speak about about the people she met.

Anne said: "They are very like Scottish people, they like a laugh, are very friendly and very warm.

"It breaks my heart to hear the things being said about the Palestinian people and the lack of understanding about the situation."

Anne, no stranger to Inverclyde, worked for the former Argyll and Clyde Health Board in Paisley, where she covered Greenock and Port Glasgow as her 'patch.'

She also had a stint as a health promotion officer and was delighted to be invited to the event by Morag and Billy Paul.

Anne will be joined by teacher Maha Eljamala and consultant Faisial Ramadan, who live and work in Inverclyde.

Inverclyde's Group for Gaza is hosting the event at Broomhill Community Hub on Friday, February 2, from 7pm to 9pm.

The evening will give people a chance to find out about the background of the present conflict, and also learn more about the history of the region and the Palestinian people themselves.

Group for Gaza has been formed by Inverclyde citizens who are concerned about the slaughter and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

They hold a weekly vigil every Saturday at 2pm in Greenock town centre to call for a ceasefire and raised over £2,000 for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) at the Gig for Gaza held before Christmas.