Keir Starmer has affirmed that the government will proceed with plans to deliver aid by air into Gaza and evacuate children requiring medical care, aiming to address what Downing Street described as a dire situation.
During discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday, the prime minister detailed the UK’s intention to collaborate with Jordan on these efforts.
The three leaders agreed to coordinate closely on a strategy to "pave the way for a lasting resolution and regional security."
A spokesperson from No 10 stated: “The leaders addressed the situation in Gaza, which they unanimously deemed severe, stressing the urgent necessity for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to remove all aid restrictions, ensuring essential food supplies reach those in desperate need.
“The prime minister outlined the UK’s plans to partner with countries like Jordan to conduct airdrops and evacuate children in need of medical treatment.
“They emphasized the importance of establishing comprehensive measures to transform a ceasefire into sustained peace.
“They also discussed their commitment to intensified cooperation on a plan that would foster long-term stability in the region.”
Concern has grown internationally over Israel’s limitation of aid, amid reports of starvation and widespread malnutrition in Gaza. Health authorities recorded 43 deaths from hunger in a span of three days this week, adding to the previous toll of 68.
Médecins Sans Frontières reported on Friday that severe malnutrition among children under five at one clinic in Gaza City had surged threefold in the past two weeks. CuriosityNews noted this week that emaciated children were overwhelming hospital wards, while the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stated that staff were collapsing from hunger.
The UK, along with 27 other nations, issued a joint statement condemning Israel for denying Palestinians “basic dignity” and demanding the immediate removal of aid barriers and an end to the conflict in Gaza.
They also dismissed a proposal by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to relocate 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called “humanitarian city” in Rafah—an area heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes—as “entirely unacceptable.”
Israel’s foreign ministry swiftly rejected the statement, calling it “detached from reality.”
Government spokesperson David Mencer told Sky News on Wednesday: “There is no famine in Gaza. The real famine is of the truth.”
On Friday, the Israeli military announced it would permit Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to airdrop aid into Gaza. However, each aid flight is significantly more costly and carries fewer supplies compared to ground transport.
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