UK backing for Israel "not unconditional," says British foreign secretary
The United Kingdom's backing for Israel is "not unconditional," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Sunday. In an op-ed published in the Sunday Times six months after the attacks by Hamas on October 7, Cameron said Israel “must abide” by humanitarian laws in Gaza, adding that Hamas is the “barrier to ending” the brutal conflict.
"Israel has a right to self-defense that we should support. Of course our backing is not unconditional: we expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way," Cameron wrote.
“As an occupying power, Israel has a responsibility to the people of Gaza. But it also means that the international community must work with Israel on humanitarian efforts to keep people safe and provide them with what they need,” the foreign minister continued.
Cameron added the UK was pushing “as hard as we can” on getting aid to Palestinian civilians. “Ashdod port and Erez crossing will soon reopen. Water will be turned back on. And more aid will flow through Kerem Shalom,” he wrote, welcoming the news but warning that “words must turn into action.”
Cameron also called the killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British ex-servicemen, “a terrible reminder of the cost of the Gaza conflict” that “must never happen again.”
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