David Lammy has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories as foreign secretary.
“I’m here to push for a ceasefire,” he said. “The loss of life over the last few months… is horrendous. It has to stop.” Mr Lammy also urged the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an increase in the flow of aid to the territory.
The newly elected minister held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority PM Mohammad Mustafa on Sunday. He is later due to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog and families of some hostages with ties to the UK.
“It’s important that, whilst we are in a war, that war is conducted according to international humanitarian law,” Mr Lammy said.
“Of course I will be pressing Israeli leaders on that subject over the coming days.”
The foreign secretary also expressed frustration over a lack of British aid trucks entering Gaza “after months and months of asking”, echoing long-running complaints from aid agencies about deliveries being blocked or delayed by complex inspections imposed by the Israeli military.
He said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was “appalling” and that the UK would be providing an additional £5.5m to medical charity UK-Med to fund its work in the territory. The Labour Party has recently faced a backlash from some Muslim voters over its response to the conflict, which many consider insufficiently critical of Israel.
The new government now faces decisions on several key issues, including whether to limit or stop weapons sales to Israel over the loss of civilian life. Asked about the sales, Mr Lammy said he would “look at the assessment and the legal considerations”.
“That process has begun and I hope to report to Parliament as soon as I possibly can,” he added. He also said he would make a statement about the future of UK funding to the UNRWA – the UN's main agency providing aid in Gaza – in the coming days.
The UK was among more than a dozen countries that suspended funding to the agency in January over allegations that several staff members were involved in the 7 October attack, and is one of only a few that are yet to restore it.
Labour has also pledged to recognise the Palestinian state, though has not yet said when it will do so. Israel launched its operation in Gaza following last October's Hamas attack, which saw around 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage.
Mr Netanyahu has said Israel will continue its war until all the hostages have been released and Hamas has been destroyed.
At least 38,584 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel's offensive, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. A UN-backed assessment last month found there was a “high risk” of famine in the territory, with almost half a million people facing “catastrophic levels” of hunger.
The ministry also said at least 141 people had been killed in Israeli strikes since Saturday. Israel said one of those strikes, which hit a humanitarian zone, was targeting a senior Hamas leader.
— CutC by bbc.com
