Humanitarian campaigners have tried to persuade shoppers to boycott products by a technology giant over its involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Members of the Kingston and Richmond Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) are calling for people to re-think buying products by Hewlett Packard.

They handed out more than 1,000 leaflets outside the Bentall Centre in Kingston on Saturday.

Hewlett Packard provides technology for a biometric identity system used at Israeli military checkpoints within the West Bank to control the movement of Palestinians.

It is also thought the company supplies IT infrastructure to the Israeli Navy enforcing a blockade of Gaza.

Ben Jamal, chairman of the Kingston and Richmond PSC, said: “HP profits from Israel’s inhumane system of control and repression of Palestinians.

“We are asking people to boycott the company, just as they boycotted companies which profited from apartheid in South Africa.

“We had a huge amount of interest and fantastic support. Most people understand now that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, building of settlement colonies and frequent massive bombing campaigns on Gaza are appallingly cruel and unjust and must be stopped.

“Boycotting HP when buying a computer, printer or ink is a way that every one of us can help make that happen.”