'Reconsider Immediately': UK PM Keir Starmer After Netanyahu Gives Nod To Occupy Gaza City
Keir Starmer's statement comes after Israel's security cabinet on Friday approved a plan from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza City.
- World News
- 5 min read
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday urged his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to 'reconsider' the plan to occupy Gaza City.
In a post on X, Starmer said, "The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed."
Expressing concern over the situation in Gaza, he emphasised the need for a ceasefire.
"Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm," the UK Prime Minister said in his post.
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Envisioning a brighter future for both Palestinians and Israelis, he said, "Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis."
In his post, he emphasized the need to move away from adopting any destructive means and take the diplomatic route to resolve the crisis.
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"But without both sides engaging in good faith in negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes. Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction."
Israel Intends To Take Control Of Entire Gaza: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel intends to take control of the entire Gaza Strip to remove Hamas and ensure the country's security, before handing it over to an unspecified Arab governing force, Fox News reported.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, ahead of a key cabinet meeting on the next stage of the Gaza war, Netanyahu stressed that Israel does not plan to retain civilian governance over the territory.
"We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza, and to pass it civilian governance," Netanyahu said as per Fox News.
"We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter, but we don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body," Netanyahu added.
The Israeli prime minister said a "detailed plan" would be drawn up for a post-Hamas government in Gaza, with no role for the Palestinian Authority, according to Fox News.
"We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly, without threatening us, and giving the Gazans a good life," he said.
Netanyahu noted that Israel currently controls about 75% of the enclave but has avoided areas where Hamas is believed to be holding hostages. He reiterated that Israel has no intent to cause civilian suffering, citing ongoing humanitarian aid efforts.
Explaining the destruction seen in Gaza, Netanyahu mentioned that Hamas booby-traps buildings, and detonating the group's underground tunnels often brings down empty structures above them, as per Fox News.
When asked if US President Donald Trump had given Israel a "green light" to take over the Strip, Netanyahu replied, "He just says, 'I know Israel will do what it has to do.' We haven't got into that kind of discussion," while confirming that the US and Israel have discussed humanitarian aid surges and broad principles for post-Hamas Gaza, but not a detailed plan.
Israeli Cabinet Approves Plan To Occupy Gaza City
Israel's security cabinet on Friday approved a plan from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza City, the Prime Minister's Office said, The Times of Israel reported.
As per The Times of Israel, Israel will provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside of combat zones, the PMO said in a statement on what it says was the decision by the cabinet to back Netanyahu's "proposal to defeat Hamas."
The Israeli cabinet approved a list of five principles to abide by in exchange for ending the conflict.
As per the Times of Israel, the principles are- the disarmament of Hamas, the return of all 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, the existence of an alternative civilian government that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
An overwhelming majority of ministers determined that the alternative plan presented to the security cabinet would not have secured the defeat of Hamas or the return of the hostages, the PMO said.
The statement doesn't elaborate on the aforementioned alternative plan, but it appears to be referring to a proposal presented by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who has expressed his opposition to occupying the Gaza Strip, fearing it will lead to a humanitarian disaster, while risking the lives of the hostages.
It's unclear why the statement only refers to conquering Gaza City and not the occupation of the entirety of the Gaza Strip, as Netanyahu declared on Thursday was his plan, as per The Times of Israel.
Gaza City is part of the 25 per cent of the Strip that the IDF has yet to conquer, along with several refugee camps in central Gaza.
It's unclear whether those other unconquered areas outside of Gaza City will also be taken over, as part of the plan authorized by the security cabinet.