TEL AVIV, Israel — The new British foreign secretary called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, his second international trip since Labour’s resounding victory in elections earlier this month.
David Lammy said the ongoing war in Gaza is “intolerable” and stressed in meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leadership that Britain wants to assist with diplomatic efforts “securing a cease-fire deal and creating the space for a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.”
Lammy met Sunday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in the West Bank city of Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He will meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday. During his visit, Lammy will also meet with families of hostages currently being held in Gaza who have ties to the U.K. He called for the release of all hostages and a dramatic increase in the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
Lammy demanded Israel halt settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, and said that the Palestinian Authority needs to be “reformed and empowered.”
Both Lammy’s Labour Party and the previous Conservative government initially avoided calling for an immediate cease-fire in the war, using phrases like “humanitarian pause.” But the language has got stronger. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Netanyahu last week there was a “clear and urgent need for a cease-fire.”
Labour’s stance on the Gaza war cost it votes in this month’s U.K. election. Although the party won in a landslide, pro-Palestinian independents defeated Labour candidates in several seats with large Muslim populations.
Lammy’s comments came the day after Israel said it had targeted Hamas’ shadowy military commander in a massive strike Saturday in the crowded southern Gaza Strip that killed at least 90 people, including children, according to local health officials.
Top Hamas officials said on Sunday that the negotiations for a possible cease-fire deal had not been halted because of the attack. Hamas also denied that Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, the target of the strike, was killed and said Israel’s “false claims are merely a cover-up for the scale of the horrific massacre.”
Deif and Hamas’ top official in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, are believed by Israel to be the chief architects of the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapped 250, triggering the Israel-Hamas war.
Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 38,400 people in Gaza and wounded more than 88,000, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
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Jill Lawless in London contributed reporting.
The recent visit of UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to Israel and the West Bank has brought renewed attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Raab’s visit comes at a critical time, as violence between Israel and Hamas has escalated in recent weeks, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis.
During his visit, Raab met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the situation in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Raab also visited areas affected by the violence, including the Gaza Strip, where he witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the recent airstrikes and rocket attacks.
One of the key points of Raab’s visit was his call for a cease-fire in Gaza. Raab emphasized the need for both sides to de-escalate the violence and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He urged Israel to exercise restraint in its military operations in Gaza and called on Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israeli territory.
Raab’s call for a cease-fire has been welcomed by international leaders, who have expressed concern over the escalating violence in Gaza. The United Nations has called for an immediate halt to the hostilities and for all parties to respect international humanitarian law.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The recent violence has also strained relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, further complicating efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement.
Raab’s visit to Israel and the West Bank highlights the UK’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region. The UK government has called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.
As the violence in Gaza continues to escalate, it is crucial for all parties to heed Raab’s call for a cease-fire and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The international community must also step up its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence and support diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the hostilities. Only through dialogue and cooperation can a lasting peace be achieved in the region.
