
Tory MP Kit Malthouse in stark 'Hague' warning to David Lammy over Gaza
In his speech, Lammy announced a £60 million humanitarian aid package for Gaza, which he said would be used to scale up food assistance programmes, water and sanitation services, and maternal and children's healthcare.
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But he stopped short of suggesting the UK would be recognising a Palestinian state – which he is under pressure from MPs to do so ahead of a UN conference at the end of this month – instead reiterating that the Government was committed to a two-state solution.
After his speech, Malthouse told the Commons: "Speaker, like in this House, I'm frankly astonished at the statement of the Foreign Secretary.
"At a time when we've got daily lynchings and expulsions on the West Bank, dozens being murdered as they beg for aid.
"I'm just beyond words really at his inaction and frankly complicity by inaction at what is going on.
"He himself said there's a massive prison camp being constructed in the south of Gaza.
"He knows that leading genocide scholars from across the world now are ringing the alarm bells, and yet he has the temerity to show up to this House and wave his chequebook as if it's going to solve his conscience.
"Can he not see that his inaction – and frankly, cowardice – is making this country irrelevant?
"Can he also not see the personal risk to him, given our international obligations, that he may end up at The Hague because of his inaction?
"And finally, really, frankly, an appeal to the Labour backbenches: We can't get your leadership to change their minds, only you can if you organise and insist on change."
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Lammy began to respond: "I understand the fury that the right honourable gentleman feels, but I have to tell him–"
Malthouse then interrupted: "Why don't you feel it?"
Lammy continued: "I have to tell him that it demeans his argument when he personalises it in the way that he does.
"It is unbecoming, and not something the House expects, particularly of its more senior members."
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, the Foreign Secretary continued to insist that the UK is not sending weapons to Israel which could be used in Israel, despite the continued export of F-35 parts.
Lammy told Sky News: "I am satisfied that we are not sending arms that could be used in [[Gaza]], but we do send other things, for example, kit and equipment that is used by NGOs or journalists."
When it was pointed out to him that the UK was continuing to export F-35 fighter jet parts, the Foreign Secretary admitted that this was "an exception", but that it was a "small" one.
"We cannot guarantee that there are not parts in the global pool that we buy into that could be used in Gaza," he told Sky News.
"That is the exception. It's a small exception, but I think your listeners will understand when there are other theatres of conflict, particularly here in Europe, that it is important that we don't bring down the whole of the F-35 arsenal across the world."
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Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
UK's Starmer to hold urgent talks over Gaza 'humanitarian catastrophe'
LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over the situation in Gaza, which he described as an "unspeakable and indefensible" humanitarian catastrophe. In a strongly worded statement late on Thursday, Starmer said he would discuss with partners "what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need," and called on Israel to allow aid into the Palestinian enclave. "The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe," Starmer said. "We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay," he added, referring to France and Germany. Gaza's health authorities have said over 100 people have died from starvation, most of them in recent weeks. More than 100 organisations, including Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Refugees International, have said mass starvation is spreading in Gaza even as tons of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the enclave. Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened the flow with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing aid in but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. Starmer said he supported U.S., Qatari and Egyptian efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. "A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution," he said.


The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer to hold emergency talks on Gaza with France and Germany
The Prime Minister has said he will hold emergency talks with France and Germany on Gaza, as he condemned the 'suffering and starvation' unfolding there as 'unspeakable and indefensible'. Sir Keir Starmer said the situation has been 'grave' for some time but has 'reached new depths'. It comes as aid groups warn of starvation in the Gaza Strip and the US said it was cutting short ceasefire talks. Sir Keir is also under increasing pressure to fulfil Labour's promise to recognise Palestine as a state. The Prime Minister said: 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. 'While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe. 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need, while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace. 'We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay.' He said it is 'hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times' but called again for all sides to engage 'in good faith, and at pace' on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. 'We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this,' he said. Weeks of talks in Qatar to try to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have yielded no major breakthroughs. Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy, said on Thursday the US was cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and sending home its negotiating team after the latest response from Hamas 'shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Sir Keir said on Thursday that a ceasefire would provide a pathway to recognising a Palestinian state, as he faces calls to do so immediately. 'We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. 'A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,' he said. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said earlier that the Government was 'deeply committed' to recognition but that such a move would need to be 'meaningful'. Mr Reynolds told LBC Radio: 'Now, at the minute, there is not a Palestinian state there. There is no political agreement between the two principal Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza.' He pointed to steps the UK has taken to ramp up pressure on Israel, including sanctioning two Israeli cabinet ministers and ending trade talks with Israel. 'And we do want to see Palestine recognised. I want that to be meaningful. I want that to be working with partners, other countries around the world.' French President Emmanuel Macron pressed for recognition of Palestinian statehood in a recent address to the UK's Parliament, saying it was the 'only path to peace'. Labour's London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has piled pressure on Sir Keir to 'immediately recognise Palestinian statehood' and said the UK 'must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing'. The Trades Union Congress also called for formal recognition of Palestine 'not in a year's time or two years' time – but now'. 'Recognition is not a symbolic gesture. It is a necessary and practical step towards a viable two-state solution that delivers equal rights and democracy, this is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace, ending decades of occupation, violence, and displacement,' the TUC said. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the Royal Air Force to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza. 'Aid delivered by the air is no substitute for the reopening of supply routes by land,' he said. 'But the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe we are now witnessing requires us to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get aid to Gazans.' More than 100 organisations, including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, have put their names to an open letter in which they said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away'. It comes as the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, described the situation in Gaza as 'a stain on the conscience of the international community'. He said: 'With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable.' Hamas-led militants based in Gaza abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed about 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.


Telegraph
14 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Starmer: Palestinians have inalienable right to statehood
Sir Keir Starmer has said the Palestinian people have an 'inalienable right' to a state of their own. The Prime Minister made the comment on Thursday evening as he came under growing pressure from Labour MPs over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. In a statement, Sir Keir also condemned the 'unspeakable and indefensible' suffering in the strip and called it a 'humanitarian catastrophe'. The Labour Government backs Palestinian statehood but has argued for months that it should be formally recognised at the right moment to further peace in the region. The statement falls short of a promise to declare Palestinian statehood – something the French are pushing to be done next month. Sir Keir said: 'We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.' Cabinet ministers have reportedly been pushing privately for Sir Keir to announce UK recognition while Sir Sadiq Khan, Labour's London mayor, publicly joined the calls this week. Pressure on Sir Keir is likely to intensify after Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana launched a new hard-left party to challenge Sir Keir. The pair have accused the Government of enabling genocide and are expected to link up with several independent pro-Gaza MPs. A UN conference on the issue, planned for June but delayed by the Israel-Iran war, is now due to take place next week. Critics of immediate recognition have said that it should not happen until Hamas is removed from any leadership role in Gaza and all Israeli hostages are released. Israel's government has characterised any recognition by the UK and France as a 'reward' for Hamas 's Oct 7 atrocities. The US had been leading efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire in recent months but Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, cut them off on Thursday. He said the US was bringing home its negotiators, saying Hamas 'clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. Mr Witkoff added that the US would now 'consider alternative options to bring the hostages home', without clarifying what they would be.