
Rishi Sunak is meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Meanwhile, in Egypt, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met with his counterpart Sameh Shoukry.
They have been discussing international efforts to de-escalate the conflict and to deliver aid to Gaza, a spokesperson for the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
Before talks began, Mr Sunak said: “I’m pleased to be here in Israel at this important time.
“Above all I am here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people.
“You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.
“I’m looking forward to my meetings later today with the prime minister and the president and I very much hope they will be productive meetings.”
Fuel ‘runs out’ at major Gaza hospital
There is no fuel left at al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said a British surgeon who has been assisting medics in the territory for 15 years.
This means no ventilators can be run, nor any other electrical equipment, said Dr Nick Maynard.
“They cannot run operating theatres properly so the vast majority of the patients simply cannot be treated now and they are in a desperate situation,” he said.
His friends and colleagues in Gaza fear they will be dead before aid reaches them, he said.
They have refused to leave hospitals in the face of Israeli orders to evacuate, despite knowing it may lead to their death, Dr Maynard added.
Resources are “virtually non-existent” and the healthcare system is “on the verge of collapse”.
Even if aid is allowed in, he said, the chances of services beyond trauma treatment functioning are “almost impossible to imagine”, meaning cancer patients will “simply die”.
A deal struck between the US, Egypt and Israel yesterday gave the green light for 20 aid trucks to enter Gaza once the Rafah border crossing is repaired. It is unclear when the aid will be let through.
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