UK slams Gaza ‘suffering’ and hints at further action against Israel

LONDON — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned Israel it faces fresh action from London after the U.K. signed up to a 28-nation statement condemning the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The U.K.’s top diplomat told Times Radio on Tuesday that the government will “consider more in the coming days” after the joint statement — signed Monday by foreign ministers across Europe and parts of the Commonwealth — accused Israel of denying assistance to the civilian population in Gaza.

The missive, signed by foreign ministers of nations including Australia, Canada and France, said Israel’s model of aid delivery is “dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.” It condemned proposals to move the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” as “completely unacceptable” and a “violation of international humanitarian law.”

Israel dismissed the statement as “disconnected from reality” and accused the signatories of sending “the wrong message to Hamas,” who it has been seeking to wipe out since the deadly October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

Lammy highlighted existing measures the U.K. has taken against Israel including sanctioning two ministers — National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — suspending trade negotiations and halting some arms sales.

But the foreign secretary warned: “We will consider more in the coming days if we don’t see this war, and certainly the suffering that we’re seeing in Gaza, come to an end.”

Lammy claimed the death toll in Gaza had been so high because Israel “did not accept what I said to them and many other foreign ministers said to them, which is you cannot reduce 400 aid points and the work of [United Nations aid agency] UNRWA and the U.N. to four aid points across the country.

“You cannot reduce the 700, 800 trucks that are required a day down to less than 40 and not expect there to be a tremendous rush for the food that is available,” he added.

Commenting on the humanitarian city proposed by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on the ruins of Rafah, Lammy told the BBC: “It’s egregious to confine the people of Gaza to 15 percent of the country, the most densely populated place now on the planet. It is entirely unacceptable. It has to be called out. And, of course, it is bringing Israel into disrepute.”

He also made clear the U.K. wants to see an enduring ceasefire between Israel and Hamas rather than simply the 60-day pause proposed by the U.S.