Britain, France and Germany have demanded Israel “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid” into Gaza to ease the hunger crises – but Sir Keir Starmer resisted calls to follow Emmanuel Macron by immediately recognising the state of Palestine.
“The humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza must end now,” Sir Keir Starmer said in a joint statement with German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron.
The three leaders held discussions on the crisis in Gaza amid growing fears of mass starvation in the area.
In their statement they said: “The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay,”
“Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.
“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to carry out their work in order to take action against starvation. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law.”
The PM is under increasing pressure after 221 MPs from across different political parties joined forces to call on the government to recognise a Palestinian state.
France’s decision to recognise Palestine has also added to pressure to follow suit, as well as divisions within Sir Keir’s own cabinet.
Sir Keir said such a move needed to be part of the “pathway” to peace in the Middle East, which he and allies are working towards.
“That pathway will set out the concrete steps needed to turn the ceasefire so desperately needed, into a lasting peace,” he said. “Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.
Israel has said that foreign countries can now drop aid into Gaza – but the UK has called on Israel to work with the UN and others to facilitate a surge of aid.
Sir Keir hit out at what he said were “appalling” and “unrelenting” scenes in Gaza.
“The continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible,” he said.
There is speculation within Labour that Sir Keir may go ahead with recognition of Palestine only after meeting Donald Trump in Scotland on Monday, to ensure the bilateral is not derailed by the issue.
