Cleverly calls for ‘restraint’ from Israeli military as thousands join London march
The UK has called for Israel to alleviate the suffering of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and act with “discipline” in its military response to the Hamas attacks.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, speaking at an international peace summit in Cairo, warned that the Israel-Hamas dispute must not trigger wider instability in the region.
His comments came as a convoy of aid was allowed into besieged Gaza through the border with Egypt.
Mr Cleverly said the opening of the Rafah crossing could not be a one-off event and he would continue to push for humanitarian access to Gaza.
The Gaza Strip has been blockaded and bombarded by Israel after its Hamas rulers launched a series of terrorist raids on October 7.
The frontier with Egypt at Rafah was opened on Saturday morning to let desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians running short of food, medicine and water in the territory.
More than 200 trucks carrying roughly 3,000 tons of aid had been positioned near the crossing for days before heading into Gaza.
On the Gaza side of the border, hundreds of foreign passport-holders have been trying to leave the besieged territory.
At the Cairo summit, Mr Cleverly said: “The UK is clear and has been consistently clear that Israel has the right to self-defence and the right to secure the release of those who are kidnapped on October 7.
“And we are also clear that we must work, and they must work, to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and that their actions are in accordance with international law.”
With the prospect of an Israeli ground assault on Gaza to root out Hamas, Mr Cleverly said he had raised the need to protect civilians with Tel Aviv.
He added: “I have spoken directly to the Israeli Government about their duty to respect international law and the importance of preserving civilian lives in Gaza.
“Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, I have called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military.”
He said the opposition of Hamas to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine showed “we must ensure Hamas does not win”, and that the Gaza conflict does not spiral into a wider war.
He said: “This has been an issue which has long stimulated passions, and we are now all seeing on social media and in our communities, how divisive and polarising, the current situation has become.
“So we have a duty, a duty to work together to prevent instability from engulfing the region, and claiming yet more lives.
“We must work together to prevent the tragic situation in Gaza becoming a regional conflict because that is exactly what Hamas wants.”
ActionAid Palestine spokesman Riham Jafari said the Rafah crossing convoy was “barely a drop in the ocean” and called for a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors.
“Before this crisis began, around 500 aid trucks would normally cross the border every day providing a vital lifeline to millions of Gazans who were already facing a humanitarian crisis,” she said.
“Aid trucks also did not bring with them the fuel needed to power hospitals, keep ambulances moving, or to pump water from the ground.”
The opening of the Rafah crossing followed another major development in the crisis when Hamas freed an American woman and her teenage daughter it had held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the first such release from among around 200 people the militant group abducted during its October 7 raids on southern Israel.
Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie were released following talks brokered by Qatar.
Hamas said it had released them for humanitarian reasons in an agreement with the Qatari government.
In Cairo, Mr Cleverly told the summit: “We are grateful to the governments who are seeking to intercede on behalf of those held hostage and those foreign nationals who are trapped in Gaza and we are grateful for the work to ensure that the humanitarian aid – which much which many of us have partially funded – reaches those Gazans who are deeply in need.”
Meanwhile in the UK, thousands of people joined a Palestine Solidarity Campaign march in London.
Attendees held signs that read “Freedom for Palestine” and “Stop Bombing Gaza”.
Chants included “Judaism yes, Zionism no, the state of Israel must go”, and “5, 6, 7, 8, Israel is a terrorist state”.
By David Hughes and Ben Mitchell, PA