Foreign Secretary David Lammy has urged for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
On his first visit to the Middle East since Labour entered Government, Lammy will advocate for a “credible and irreversible pathway” towards a two-state solution in discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
In his tour, the Foreign Secretary will address key issues, including the intolerable death and destruction in Gaza and the urgent need for both sides to comply with a ceasefire. Lammy emphasized the necessity of ending the ongoing conflict, releasing hostages held by Hamas, and allowing unrestricted aid to reach the people of Gaza.
“The fighting has got to stop,” Lammy declared. “Hostages cruelly detained by Hamas terrorists need to be released immediately, and aid must be allowed in to reach the people of Gaza without restrictions.”
Lammy’s visit includes planned meetings with hostage families in Israel and a subsequent visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. There, he will reiterate the UK’s commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state as an undeniable right of the Palestinian people.
The Foreign Secretary underscored the UK’s diplomatic role in securing a ceasefire and fostering a pathway to a two-state solution.
He stated the importance of a secure Israel coexisting alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, and he called for an end to the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and rising settler violence in the West Bank.
“Central to this is to see an end to expanding illegal Israeli settlements and rising settler violence in the West Bank,” Lammy stated. “Here, in what should be a crucial part of a Palestinian state, alongside Gaza and East Jerusalem, we need to see a reformed and empowered Palestinian Authority.”
Lammy’s visit follows Labour’s call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, a stance that evolved from its initial support for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid entry and evacuation from the territory.
The political landscape in the UK has also been affected by the conflict. Labour’s stance on Gaza led to losses in seats such as Leicester South, Blackburn, Dewsbury and Batley, and Birmingham Perry Barr to pro-Palestine independents. Notably, Jeremy Corbyn, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause, secured a victory against Labour in Islington North.
Lammy will announce an extra £5.5 million in aid to UK-Med, a charity that dispatches medics to crisis-hit regions like Gaza, reinforcing the UK’s humanitarian efforts in the conflict zone.
