Any attempt by Israel to annex territories to Gaza would be “unacceptable”, warned British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Hamish Falcon on Tuesday, reacting to the Israeli plan of “conquest” of the Palestinian territory.
“We firmly oppose the expansion of Israel’s operations. Any attempt to annex territories to Gaza would be unacceptable, “said Falconer to the House of Commons, adding that” the Palestinian territory should not be amputated or subject to any demographic change “.
On Monday, the Israeli government announced the launch of a new military campaign which provides for the “conquest” of the Gaza Strip and the massive movement of its population inside the territory.
Many countries have condemned the Israeli plan.
“We repeat our calls for the immediate release of hostages (Israelis still held by Hamas in Gaza), but the expansion of this conflict is not the way to reach their return safely,” insisted Hamish Falconer.
Neither the Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer, nor his Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Lammy, have yet expressed themselves on the situation.
The British government continues to defend “an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages, the urgent supply of humanitarian aid and a way to a political solution,” said the British Secretary of State before the deputies.
-He also condemned Hamas and “the great cruelty” with which the Islamist group holds Israeli hostages.
“Hamas should not divert aid for financial purposes or use infrastructure for military purposes,” he added.
The war was triggered by the unprecedented attack in Hamas on October 7, 2023 in Israel, which led to the death of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.
Of the 251 people kidnapped that day, 58 are still retained in Gaza, 34 of which were declared dead by the Israeli army.
The Israeli reprisal campaign left at least 52,615 dead in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health of the Government of Hamas, deemed reliable by the UN.
AFP
