An emergency “Jewish appeal for Gaza” has been launched, calling on the Jewish community to make donations to help Palestinians injured in the recent conflict.

Set up by a group of “concerned friends”, the initiative is supported by left-leaning Jewish organisations including Yachad, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Jewdas and the Young Jewish Left.

According to appeal’s website, the money will go to the Al-Makassed hospital in East Jerusalem which it says is a charity hospital struggling to deal with the influx of new patients from the Gaza conflict.

The organisers said: “The patients who have been transferred from Gaza are struggling with horrific injuries and traumas. Many have been severely burned or disabled; many have had their homes destroyed and have been left destitute.

“Whatever our politics, and whatever we think is right or wrong, no one can help but be moved and devastated by the loss of civilian life, and the suffering of the people of Gaza.

“We have set up this appeal for members of our community to donate funds to where they are most needed. We must not let empathy be a casualty of this conflict.”