The foreign secretary has told the House of Lords the “best way” to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza is by “ending the fighting as soon as possible”.
Lord David Cameron added: “UK aid is saving children’s lives. We’re doing everything we can to get aid into Gaza.”
The Greens’ Baroness Natalie Bennett rose to say a “pause” is not enough, and called for a “permanent ceasefire now”.
More specifically, she raised the “awful fate of six-year-old Hind Rajab”, who was recorded begging rescuers to save her after an attack in Gaza.
She was found dead along with five of her relatives and two ambulance workers who went to save her, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said over the weekend.
Baroness Bennett asked the foreign secretary if the government has demanded answers from the Israeli government about this case, and the risk to children if Israel continues its offensive into the Rafah area.
She also called for “targeted sanctions” against some Israeli leaders, “particularly those calling for new settlements in Gaza and on the West Bank”.
Lord David Cameron replied that the case of six-year-old Hind Rajab is “completely tragic”, and added the UK wants to see “an end to the suffering, an end to this killing”.
Clarifying the UK’s position more specifically, he said: “The pause we are calling for, we want to turn into a ceasefire by making sure the conditions are right for getting a stop in the fighting to mean a permanent ceasefire.”
A “number of conditions” are needed for that to happen, such as getting Hamas leaders out of Gaza, otherwise “the problem will still be there”.
He went on to say a new Palestinian Authority government needs to be in place, and that all hostages require releasing “quickly”.
The foreign secretary also said the government “absolutely” challenges Israeli leaders on “individual episodes”.
He added: “We will continue to do that as part of the very important process that we go through to judge whether they are compliant with international humanitarian law.”
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