David Lammy MP, the UK Foreign Secretary, addressed the House of Commons this week, stating that “Hamas cannot remain in charge of Gaza. But equally, the Israel Defence Forces cannot remain situated in Gaza.”
During his remarks, Lammy spoke of concern for the safety of hostages held in Gaza, detailing ongoing conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and meetings with UK hostage families.
“They remain paramount in the Government’s mind as we head, I hope, towards the ceasefire that we all want,” he said.
The Foreign Secretary criticised the inadequate aid reaching Gaza, noting that “Seventy trucks a day, when we know there should be 500, is not enough.” He highlighted the UK’s allocation of an extra £5.5 million to support UK-Med in Gaza amidst the dire situation of bombed medical facilities and rising disease, including polio.
“The whole House recognises the word ‘flood,’ and we were told in April that Gaza would be flooded with aid. Seventy trucks is nowhere near enough. As a consequence, we hear stories of disease—now including polio—setting in, which is horrific and troubles us all deeply,” Lammy stated.
Lammy endorsed the Biden plan, which he discussed with G7 Foreign Ministers and Arab partners, expressing hope for its adoption by the end of the month. He stressed the need for a new security paradigm in Gaza, suggesting involvement from Arab partners to ensure Israel’s security while eliminating Hamas’s control.
“There is a sticking point with prisoner release as well as with hostage release: what happens on the day after? Israel’s security is paramount. Hamas cannot remain in charge of Gaza. But equally, the Israel Defence Forces cannot remain situated in Gaza. There has to be a new paradigm. It will involve, I suspect, Arab partners and others who can give security guarantees to Israel. It is a complicated picture. We have to work at pace on what comes afterwards,” he explained.
Addressing the West Bank situation, Lammy described his meeting with the new Prime Minister to discuss financial withdrawals and the illegal expansion violating international law.
“It was important for me to meet the new Prime Minister on the west bank to discuss the finances that have been withdrawn and the febrile situation we saw against a backdrop of an unbelievable expansion, which breaches international law that the House stands by. I press the Israeli Prime Minister on that issue greatly. We are of course looking closely at those issues,” he said.
Lammy also commented on Iran’s role in the region, “On the role that Iran plays in sponsoring Hamas, sponsoring Hezbollah and engaging in malign activity, we keep a close eye. I stand by what I said at the Dispatch Box when I was Opposition spokesman on these matters, and I will work over the coming months to review the context of terrorist activity and state threats with the Home Secretary.” By George Allison, UKDJ
