British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on Thursday arrived in Israel, commencing a visit during which he will hold meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, before proceeding to other capitals in the region.
After landing, Sunak said he and the United Kingdom “stand with Israel. I’m looking forward to my meetings with the prime minister and the president.”
According to his office, Sunak intends to express his sympathies for the lives lost in Israel and Gaza due to the attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from Gaza on October 7. Additionally, he will caution against any potential escalation of the conflict in the region.
“Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost following Hamas’ horrific act of terror,” Sunak said in a statement ahead of his visit.
He suggested that the tragic explosion at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Palestinian lives, ought to be “a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict”, pledging Britain would be at “the forefront of this effort”.
Sunak will additionally emphasize the necessity of establishing a pathway for humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza from Egypt promptly, and facilitating the departure of British citizens stranded in Gaza.
According to Sunak’s spokesperson, at least seven British nationals have lost their lives and nine are unaccounted for since the Israel attack.
In conjunction with Sunak’s visit, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who recently visited Israel, is scheduled to travel to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar within the next three days to engage in discussions regarding the conflict and pursue a peaceful resolution, as per his office.
Britain said the three countries were “vital to international efforts to uphold regional stability, free hostages and allow humanitarian access to Gaza”.
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According to Britain, Cleverly will hold discussions with senior leaders in the area to address ways to avert the escalation of the conflict, the immediate necessity of opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt to facilitate aid distribution to those in need, and the demand for the release of hostages by Hamas.