UK PM Rishi Sunak meets President and Prime Minister of Israel

The UK PM Rishi Sunak who has been voicing support in favour of Israel's "right to defend" against the Hamas attack met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will later travel to other countries in the Middle East for further discussions.

After meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both the leaders gave a short press conference. Netanyahu framed the conflict as a showdown between good and evil, modernity and barbarism, saying that both Israel and the world were facing their “darkest hour”. He said the war would be long, adding that although there would be “ups and downs”, the people of Israel had never been more united. 

The UK PM Sunak said Israel had gone through something that “no country; no people should have to endure - least of all Israel”. He also said that the UK supported Israel’s right to defend itself 'in line with international law', to go after Hamas, and to bring back the hostages.  

The British PM thanked Netanyahu for his support for British nationals caught up in this horror, including the hostages. Sunak also referred to Tuesday’s blast at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip. Sunak thanked the Israeli government for its decision to announce the opening up of humanitarian routes into Gaza.

Earlier, during his meeting with President Herzog, Sunak thanked the Israeli President for the support provided to British nationals caught up in the



"terror attacks". He said that they agreed on the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support to ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are also suffering. He also met with those families whose members had been taken hostage by the Palestinian group and assured their release. 

In a social media post he said that working with other partners, they are determined to secure the release of the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists.

Mr Sunak reached the war-torn country, a day after US President Joe Biden's visit as world leaders step up efforts to de-escalate tensions in the West Asia region. Earlier yesterday, talking to the media after his arrival this morning, the British Prime Minister condemned the horrific act of terrorism committed by Hamas on Israel on the 7th of this month.  At least seven British nationals have been killed and at least nine are still missing since the attack on Israel, Sunak's spokesperson said on Wednesday.

 

Yesterday, the US President paid a brief visit to Israel to show solidarity with the war-torn country following the deadly terror attack by Hamas earlier this month. While returning home, Mr Biden discussed humanitarian aid for Gaza with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi over the phone. Talking to reporters on board US Air Force aircraft, President Biden announced that the United States has secured a deal with Egypt to deliver limited aid to Gaza to ease the humanitarian crisis.