KEIR STARMER: 'The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now'

The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting.

I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation in Gaza are utterly horrifying.

The denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people – to children and babies – is completely unjustifiable. So is the continued captivity of the hostages. And so is Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid. Children have been killed while collecting water. It is a humanitarian catastrophe. And it must end now.

We have put millions of pounds of aid into Gaza. We have announced an extra £40 million of humanitarian support this year. But the help is not getting in.

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So we are scaling up our work. We are urgently accelerating efforts to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance – bringing more Palestinian children to the UK for specialist medical treatment.

News that Israel will allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza has come far too late – but we will do everything we can to get aid in via this route.

We are already working urgently with the Jordanian authorities to get British aid onto planes and into Gaza. We will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to the Palestinian people immediately.

More broadly, alongside our closest allies, I am working on a pathway to peace in the region – focused on the practical solutions that will make a real difference to the lives of those that are suffering in this war.

That pathway will set out concrete steps to turn the desperately needed ceasefire into a lasting peace.

Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.

This is the way to ensure that recognition is a tool of maximum impact to improve the lives of those who are suffering – which must always be our ultimate goal.

The fact we have rebuilt the UK’s standing on the world stage enables us to rally international action behind real, purposeful, practical solutions.

That’s what we have done with the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine. That is what must happen in the Middle East – building a new international coalition behind a plan to end the suffering, now and for the long term.

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