British foreign secretary condemns killing of civilians in Gaza

LONDON - British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza and criticized Israel's aid distribution model as "inhumane", following the Britain's endorsement of a joint international statement urging an end to the conflict.

"I utterly condemn the killing of civilians seeking to meet their basic needs," Lammy told Members of Parliament in the House of Commons.

"The Israeli government must answer what possible military justification can there be for strikes that have killed desperate, starving children," he said.

While reaffirming his support for Israel's right to security and existence, Lammy warned that the country's current actions were "doing untold damage to Israel's standing in the world and undermining its long-term security".

Lammy described Israel's newly implemented aid delivery system in Gaza as "inhumane, dangerous, and depriving Gazans of human dignity". He added that it "contradicts long-established humanitarian principles" by forcing civilians, children among them, to "scramble unsafely for the essentials of life".

He also cited proposals made by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, which reportedly included driving Gaza's entire population into Rafah and detaining Palestinians unless they emigrate. "This is a cruel vision that must never come to pass," Lammy said.

Earlier on Monday, Britain joined 25 other nations in a joint statement condemning the ongoing civilian suffering in Gaza and urging Israel to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law.

"The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths," the statement read. "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability, and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food."

"It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," it added.

Lammy also announced that Britain would provide an additional 40 million pounds (54 million US dollars) in humanitarian assistance to Gaza this year, including 7.5 million pounds for UK-Med, a British charity delivering medical aid on the ground.

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surpassed 59,000 since the outbreak of the conflict on Oct 7, 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said on Monday.