Following Tuesday’s joint statement by the United Kingdom, France and Canada regarding the conflict in the Middle East, I wanted to share another update on the UK Government’s opposition to the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
What is happening in Gaza is morally wrong. I’ve been horrified by reports of the suffering felt there: civilians facing starvation, homelessness, trauma, desperate for this war to end, and now facing renewed bombardment, new displacement and further violence. The remaining hostages kept apart from their loved ones by Hamas for almost six hundred days are also now at heightened risk from the war around them.
I was deeply disappointed by the breakdown of the previous ceasefire deal. It was the best chance to get more aid into Gaza and bring the bloodshed to an end. I continue to call for all parties to return to a ceasefire urgently and will support the Government in working with our international partners to achieve this.
This weekend, the Israeli Defence Force started a new, extensive ground operation in Gaza with the stated aim of allowing only minimal amounts of food to reach civilians. This is despite stark cautions from the WHO and UN, who have warned of the threat of starvation hanging over the hundreds of thousands of people living there. And in the occupied West Bank, a persistent cycle of serious violence is being undertaken by Israeli settlers.
Israeli Minister Smotrich has spoke of Israeli forces “cleansing” Gaza and “destroying what’s left” and resident Palestinians being “relocated to third countries”. We need to call this what it is: repellent and dangerous extremism, which I condemn in the strongest possible terms.
Last week I met with the Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, to discuss the devastation in Gaza. The UK cannot stand by in the face of this – it’s an affront to the values of the British people. I call on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This must include engaging with the United Nations to ensure a return to the delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles. The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is absolutely unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law, which the UK Government has raised concerns about with the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice.
Israel must also halt settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of Israelis and Palestinians alike. This week we’ve announced sanctions on settler individuals and organisations, such as financial restrictions and travel bans, including on high-profile extremist settler leader Daniella Weiss, who featured in Louis Theroux’s recent documentary. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced the halting of free trade agreement negotiations with Israel, effective immediately. I will back the UK Government in taking further action if Israel pursues the military offensive as threatened while failing to ensure the unhindered provision of aid.
Palestinians must be given a credible route to Palestinian statehood, as is their inalienable right, and the UK Government is prepared to work with others to this end and the implementation of a two-state solution. There remains no military solution to this conflict – diplomacy, not bombs or bullets, remains the only path to a just and lasting peace.