Rishi Sunak ensured full support for Israel from Britain.
London:
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed solidarity with the nation on Monday, saying the attacks in Israel last weekend shocked the world as elderly people, men, women, children and armed babies were murdered, mutilated and burned alive.
Briefing the House of Commons on the latest situation in Israel and Gaza, Sunak assured full support for Israel from Britain.
“The attacks in Israel last weekend shocked the world. More than 1,400 people have been murdered, more than 3,500 injured and almost 200 taken hostage. Elderly people, men, women, children and armed babies were murdered, mutilated and burned alive. pogrom…We support Israel. The murdered and missing people come from more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom. At least six British citizens have been killed and ten are missing…We are working with Israel to determine the consequences as quickly as possible. As much as possible, we also help British citizens who want to leave Israel,” Sunak said in parliament.
“I would like to address the British Jewish community directly… we stand with you now and always. This atrocity was an existential attack on the idea of Israel as a safe homeland for the Jewish people. We are doing everything we can to protect you…,” he added.
Furthermore, the British Prime Minister said that Hamas is “using innocent Palestinian people as human shields” and that Britain mourns the loss of every innocent life taken amid the ongoing Hamas terror.
“Hamas uses innocent Palestinian people as human shields. With the tragic loss of more than 2,600 Palestinian lives, including many children, we mourn the loss of every innocent life. Citizens of every faith, every nationality, who have been murdered… I believe we must support Israel’s right to defend itself, go after Hamas, take back the hostages, deter further incursions and ensure its safety strengthen the long term…’, he said.
Sunak also stressed that the Palestinian people are also victims of Hamas as he urged humanitarian support for the people of Gaza.
He said: “We must support the Palestinian people because they are also victims of Hamas. We believe that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity.”
“Hamas simply does not support the future that Palestinians want, and they are trying to endanger the Palestinian people. So we must ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza as a matter of urgency. This requires that Egypt and Israel grant the assistance that is so needed.” desperately needed,” he added.
Sunak also highlighted his conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying he supported his efforts to bring stability to the region.
“Earlier today, I spoke with Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, to express our support for his efforts to provide stability. And thirdly, we will use all the tools of British diplomacy to secure the prospects for peace and stability in the Palestinian territories. region. Ultimately, that requires security for Israelis and Palestinians and a two-state solution. That is why we are increasing our regional engagement,” Sunak said.
He further underlined that he also spoke twice with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, along with the US, France, Germany, Italy and others.
“I have spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu twice in the past week, along with the United States, France, Germany, Italy and others. My dear friend the Foreign Secretary was the first to visit Israel after the attack. yesterday the King of Jordan, an ancient voice of reason and moderation, and today I spoke with the leaders of Turkey and formerly Egypt and will speak with others in the coming days. Our partners in the region have asked us to play a role in preventing further escalation. That’s what we will do, no matter how hard it is. “We need to ask the tough questions about how we can revive the long-term prospects for a two-state solution for normalization and regional stability,” he said.
Rishi Sunak has time and again expressed his support for Israel and has previously said that Britain will always stand with its allies in the fight against terror.
“The UK will always support our allies in the fight against terror. Following Hamas’ terror attacks on innocent victims in Israel, I deployed our world-class military to strengthen regional stability, prevent further escalation and support humanitarian efforts,” Sunak wrote on ‘X’. ‘.
The Israeli military is expected to launch a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, but the scale and timing of it could be influenced by operational considerations as tensions rise along the northern border.
Meanwhile, the head of Israel’s National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, has reaffirmed that the government’s war aim is to remove Hamas from military and political control of the Gaza Strip.
Hanegbi said that at a recent cabinet meeting, the government approved a plan to “destroy” Hamas, as stated by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
