UK FM ‘sickened' by Israel's conduct in Gaza
It follows a joint statement from 25 countries on Monday — including the UK, France, Canada and Australia — urging Israel to end its restrictions on aid entering the Palestinian enclave, The Independent reported.
David Lammy said that only a 'change in behavior' from Israel would cause the British government to abandon its plan to introduce new sanctions against it.
The Israeli military this week launched a new ground operation on Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, which is the primary aid hub for the territory.
Lammy was interviewed on 'Good Morning Britain' on Tuesday, a day after releasing the joint statement with his 24 counterparts.
He was asked what steps the government would take should Israel fail to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
'Well, we've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months,' he said.
'There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behavior and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.
'It's important that we continue to work with international partners if we are to have the maximum result. But what I want to see is a ceasefire and it's my assessment that once the Knesset rises on July 28, we are more likely to see a ceasefire come into effect.'
Last month, Lammy announced British sanctions against two senior far-right members of the Netanyahu government, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have repeatedly incited violence against Palestinians.
Monday's 25-nation joint statement condemned Israel and the US's aid model for Gaza, which was designed to replace much of the existing UN aid system in the enclave.
The organization at the center of the new model, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has faced intense criticism after scores of Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces at its designated aid sites.
Lammy told 'BBC Breakfast' about his reaction to events in Gaza: 'I feel the same as the British public: appalled, sickened. I described what I saw, yesterday in parliament, as grotesque.'
He added: 'These are not words that are usually used by a foreign secretary who is attempting to be diplomatic, but when you see innocent children holding out their hand for food, and you see them shot and killed in the way that we have seen in the last few days, of course Britain must call it out.'
Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
12 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
At least 25 people killed by Israeli gunshots and strikes in Gaza, some while seeking aid
At least 25 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunshots overnight, according to health officials and the ambulance service on Saturday, as cease-fire talks appear to have stalled and Palestinians in Gaza face famine. The majority of victims were killed by gunfire as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Israel's army didn't respond to request for comments about the latest shootings. Those killed in strikes include four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, among others, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. The strikes come as cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the talks into further uncertainty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering alternative options to cease-fire talks with Hamas. His comments came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the United States, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when. For desperate Palestinians, a cease-fire can't come soon enough. The United Nations and experts say that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. While Israel's army says it's allowing aid into the enclave with no limit on the number of trucks that can enter, the UN says it is hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting. The Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 79 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the same crossing. Israel's military said at the time its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat and that it was aware of some casualties. Israel is facing increased international pressure to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops requested by Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in a newspaper article on Saturday that the UK was working urgently with Jordan to get British aid into Gaza. Aid group the World Central Kitchen said on Friday that it was resuming limited cooking operations in Deir al-Balah after being forced to halt due to a lack of food supplies. It said it's trying to serve 60,000 meals daily through its field kitchen and partner community kitchens, less than half of what it's cooked over the previous month.
Leaders
38 minutes ago
- Leaders
Gaza Talks at Crossroads: US Pulls Negotiators as Mediators Report Progress
The US and Israel pulled their negotiating teams from Qatar for consultation, hours after Hamas submitted its response to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. On the other hand, mediators Egypt and Qatar reported some progress in the talks and said they would resume, as international concern mounts over Gaza's worsening humanitarian situation and spreading hunger. Blaming Hamas The US President, Donald Trump, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Friday accused Hamas of not wanting a deal in Gaza, signaling that they would give up on the ceasefire negotiations, reported Reuters. 'Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job,' Trump told reporters. On Thursday, Trump's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that Hamas was not acting in good faith and its response to the truce proposal showed a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Similarly, Netanyahu said that 'Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal,' according to a statement by his office. Alternative Options Both the US and Israel suggested they would look for alternatives to release the remaining hostages, without elaborating. Witkoff said that the US would 'consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister said that Tel Aviv and Washington were 'considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region.' With regards to this, the US State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, declined to reveal what options Trump and Witkoff were referring to. 'We've tried. The world has watched this. What the options are — clearly there are many tools in President Trump's tool chest, many options that Special Envoy Witkoff has,' she told CNN on Friday. 'So, they are very smart, adept individuals who know the players. And I expect that we'll have some success,' Bruce added. Constructive Gaza Talks In contrast, Hamas deemed the latest round of negotiations constructive, criticizing Witkoff's remarks as an attempt to pressure the Palestinian movement for the benefit of Israel in the next round of talks. 'What we have presented – with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation – we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one,' Hamas official Bassem Naim said in a statement on Facebook. He said that said the talks addressed several gaps, such as the ceasefire agenda, guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be delivered. Mediators Optimism Mediators Egypt and Qatar echoed Naim's comments. In a joint statement, the two countries said that the latest round of talks had seen some progress and that they would resume, without setting a date. 'It is normal to suspend talks to hold consultations before the resumption of the dialogue once more,' they said. Moreover, Egypt and Qatar reiterated their commitment to continuing their efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza in collaboration with the US. Negotiations have been taking place for months to reach a ceasefire deal that would release Israeli hostages, increase aid flow into Gaza and halt the fighting for 60 days. However, some sticking points have obstructed progress, including the redeployment of Israeli troops in Gaza and what would happen after the 60-day truce if no permanent agreement was reached. Looming Famine Gaza is facing a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, as international aid organizations warn of mass hunger in the Strip amid the restricted flow of aid. In response to mounting pressures, the Israeli military said on Friday it would allow countries to airdrop aid supplies into Gaza. 'The Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics, it needs an open humanitarian corridor and a steady daily flow of aid trucks to save what remains of the lives of besieged, starving civilians,' the director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, Ismail Al-Thawabta, told Reuters. As deaths related to malnutrition increased this month, around 28 countries and more than 115 aid agencies called for an immediate end to the Gaza war, criticizing Israel's restriction on aid flow and the delivery mechanism to deployed under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Short link : Post Views: 27
Leaders
38 minutes ago
- Leaders
UN Chief Condemns Global Indifference to Palestinian Suffering in Gaza
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the international community on Friday for its indifference toward the severe starvation crisis in the Gaza Strip, describing the situation as a 'moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.' Guterres addressed Amnesty International's global assembly via video link, expressing his deep concern. 'I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see from too many in the international community,' Guterres stated. He emphasized the 'lack of compassion, the lack of truth, and the lack of humanity' in response to the ongoing crisis. He vowed to continue speaking out at every opportunity. Rising Starvation Rates Aid organizations have reported alarming increases in starvation cases, particularly among children, in war-torn Gaza. Israel imposed an aid blockade in March amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas, which has exacerbated the humanitarian situation. Although the blockade eased two months later, the flow of aid remains limited. The Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation now controls aid distribution, replacing the long-standing UN-led system. This shift has raised concerns among various humanitarian groups. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric stated, 'There is no excuse for what is happening in Gaza.' She highlighted the overwhelming scale of human suffering and the erosion of human dignity, which have surpassed all acceptable legal and moral standards. Spoljaric noted that the ICRC has over 350 staff members in Gaza, many of whom struggle to find sufficient food and clean water. Aid organizations and the United Nations have refused to collaborate with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, accusing it of supporting Israeli military objectives. Urgent Need for Action Guterres condemned the 7 October, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered the current conflict. However, he asserted that 'nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since.' He remarked, 'The scale and scope are beyond anything we have seen in recent times.' Children in Gaza express a desire to 'go to heaven' because they believe there is food there. Guterres shared that humanitarian workers face starvation while trying to assist others. 'But words don't feed hungry children,' he lamented. He also condemned the deaths of over 1,000 Palestinians attempting to access food aid since May 27, when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations. A Call for Ceasefire and Humanitarian Access 'We need action: an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access,' Guterres urged. He added that the United Nations stands ready to 'dramatically scale up humanitarian operations' in Gaza if Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire. The world must respond to this crisis with urgency and compassion, as the lives of countless individuals hang in the balance. Short link : Post Views: 16
