Israel could face further sanctions if it does not agree Gaza ceasefire
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has begun a ground operation targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the enclave.
On Monday, Mr Lammy and his counterparts from 24 other nations including France, Canada and Australia urged Israel to lift restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza in a joint statement.
They condemned the current aid delivery model, backed by the Israeli and American governments, which has reportedly resulted in IDF troops firing on Palestinian civilians in search of food on multiple occasions.
Israel claimed the statement from foreign ministers was 'disconnected from reality' and 'sends the wrong message to Hamas'.
Mr Lammy toured broadcast studios on Tuesday morning, after having condemned in the House of Commons the 'grotesque spectacle' which Palestinians have been subject to.
Asked by ITV's Good Morning Britain what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, the Foreign Secretary replied: 'Well, we've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months.
'There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour 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.'
He later emphasised to BBC Breakfast he was using language not usually employed by a foreign secretary, who is effectively Britain's chief diplomat.
Asked for his personal reaction to the scenes in Gaza, Mr Lammy told BBC Breakfast: '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.'
Meanwhile, a building opposite the Labour Party's central London headquarters has been covered in images of destroyed buildings in Gaza as part of a protest.
The demonstration by campaign group Led By Donkeys features images of bombed-out buildings and the text 'Protesting this isn't terrorism', in response to the Government's move to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
Israeli ground troops pushed into areas of Deir al-Balah, where several aid groups are based, for the first time on Monday.
Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in the city, which has avoided widespread devastation during the war, leading to speculation that Hamas holds large numbers of hostages there.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people.
Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half of the dead.
It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
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Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
British spy planes are helping Israel find hostages in Gaza
British military aircraft are flying over Gaza to help Israel find missing hostages, even as the UK condemns Israel's actions in the war-torn enclave. Intelligence gathered by RAF planes flying over Gaza is 'routinely' shared with the Israelis, who use the information to track captured hostages, the Ministry of Defence told The Telegraph. Hundreds of missions have been flown by Shadow R1 surveillance aircraft over Gaza since the war broke out in October 2023, including last month. It comes as Benjamin Netanyahu considers plans to fully occupy the Palestinian territory. 'The die has been cast. We're going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip – and defeating Hamas,' a senior Israeli official was quoted by the Hebrew media as saying. Around 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are thought to still be alive. The families of the hostages fear plans to take over the Strip could endanger their loved ones. Israel's allies are also thought to be opposed to Mr Netanyahu's plans, and pressure is growing on the Jewish state to wind down its military campaign and alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The continuation of British military support above Gaza comes as Israel-UK relations plummet to an all-time low. The Government has sanctioned a number of hard-Right Israeli ministers and threatened to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN in September unless conditions in the enclave improve. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said he was 'sickened' by reports of Israeli troops firing at Palestinians at aid distribution centres. Britain has supported Israel's military operations in Gaza by flying above the enclave to help find hostages since October 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in a terror attack. RAF aircraft have flown nearly daily missions, gathering intelligence the MoD says is used solely to locate hostages. The RAF's Shadow R1 plane is equipped with electronic sensors that are able to gather data on the ground in Gaza. It is used to identify vehicle convoys, residential buildings and zoom in on individual movement in the Gaza Strip. An RAF source told The Times that the Shadow R1 aircraft had returned to Britain. It is unclear which planes have taken over intelligence gathering. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: 'Since early December 2023, the RAF has routinely conducted unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages. 'The UK controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities and only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authority. 'We do not comment on operational detail for security reasons.'
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'The world should see my son's sadistic torture': Mother of Israeli hostage delivers searing message to Hamas apologists in first interview since shocking video was released
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Today she bravely speaks out for the first time, supported by Guy's parents, whose son is believed to be in the same state of starvation, to remind the international community 'who here is cruel'. Galia said: 'We very much hope this video has shaken people enough.' When such videos emerge from Hamas, the mainstream media wait for families to give the green light before airing them. Galia explained: 'That is why we ultimately decided to allow the release of the video – so that the world will truly understand how the hostages are suffering, who here is cruel, who is abusing not only our children but also the population in Gaza. 'I want everyone in the world to see this image, to know what Hamas terrorists are doing.' While Galia said she cannot 'waste energy on anger, blame, or accusations', Guy's father, Ilan Dalal, was more direct. Visibly still furious at Britain's decision to follow France in pushing for Palestinian statehood – a move Hamas celebrated as 'the fruits of October 7' and saw them harden their negotiation stance – he addressed Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron directly. 'Because of you there wasn't an agreement to bring our children home, and you caused the war in Gaza to continue,' he told the leaders. 'The suffering of the Gazans is on your hands. It's on you. The same goes for the suffering of the hostages.' It came as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch yesterday said Sir Keir 'has made a mistake' with the plan. Referencing the image of Evyatar, Ms Badenoch said: 'This is what Hamas is about. 'Now is not the time to reward them for their atrocities and for the massacre they committed on October 7 by giving them statehood recognition.' Of her son's desperate condition, Galia said: 'I don't think I have to tell you how urgent it is to get them out. 'Medical professionals told us that he can live for only another few days. Guy is in the exact same condition.' Visibly heartbroken, the mother of three said she feels a 'terrible frustration' as Evyatar and Guy have been held underground for so long they 'haven't a clue' what efforts their families are making to save them. Both have been in tunnels since June last year – aside from when they were taken above ground to torment them for the cruel video last February. 'I want anyone who is human to understand this,' Galia added. 'I want each person to stop and think for a moment: What if this were your son or brother? 'What would you do? Would you just sit silently? No. You would turn the world upside down.' Galia was at home in Kfar Saba when friends started messaging about a video of her son posted on Telegram by the terrorists on Friday last week. Talking to the Daily Mail in Guy's home, she stroked the hand of his mother, Meirav, as she revealed the two women made a pact at that moment. 'We spoke about it and decided we didn't intend to watch it,' she said. The mothers share a special bond and see each other as family as their sons are 'soul brothers' who have been inseparable since they met as toddlers. Both grew up going on camping trips together and love music – which is what saw them go to Nova when they were kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Horrifying footage from that day shows the young men pinned to the floor, their eyes bulging in terror. 'Meirav and I are just holding on to each other, trying to muster whatever strength we still have because Evyatar and Guy are our children,' Galia said. While the fact their sons are together has given some comfort, they also know that 'when one of them is tortured and abused, the other feels it as if it was his own flesh, exactly the same'. 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Describing what Guy and Evyatar are enduring as 'a Holocaust', she adds: 'I am sick of this hypocrisy of the world. People are simply bleeding hearts, and they don't grasp what's happening. And my son and Evyatar are rotting in the tunnels, with other hostages, which is insane.' For both mothers, they want just one thing. 'I want to hug my child,' said Galia. 'I want to reach that moment when Guy and Evyatar are brought back to us and we can tell them, 'You are safe, we are here for you.' 'From now on, this journey only goes in the direction of good.'
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Bob Vylan Glastonbury set sparks antisemitism surge as hate incidents hit six-month high the following day
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