Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel today, where he appealed to all parties to prevent a ‘further dangerous escalation’ of the conflict.
The Prime Minister holds talks with Israeli colleague Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.
After disembarking from his plane, flanked by a larger-than-normal security force, Mr Sunak said Britain “stands with” the people of Israel over Hamas’ “unspeakable, horrific act of terror”.
The prime minister is expected to argue for allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning of a “dangerous escalation” of the crisis.
Mr Sunak will travel to other countries in the region after his talks in Israel. Intensive efforts have been made behind the scenes to free Britons suspected of being taken hostage by Hamas during the bloody raids earlier this month.
Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel today as he calls on all parties to prevent a ‘further dangerous escalation’ of the conflict
Mr Sunak is expected to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and President Isaac Herzog (right) in Tel Aviv.
Mr Sunak posted on social media as he arrived in Israel this morning
An image distributed by Downing Street of Mr Sunak in the middle of his RAF flight to Israel
Mr Sunak said: “Above all, I am here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terror and I want you to know that Britain and I stand with you.”
Downing Street said that after his visit to Israel, Mr Sunak will travel to a “number of other regional capitals” for talks with Arab leaders before returning to Britain on Friday.
No10 said his exact schedule was still being finalized last night, but Whitehall sources suggested he hopes to visit Egypt and Jordan.
A government source said the prime minister would “show strong support for Israel” but would also urge all sides to prevent the conflict from “turning into a regional war.”
Before leaving, Mr Sunak said: ‘Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost as a result of Hamas’s heinous act of terror. The attack on al-Ahli hospital should be a turning point for leaders in the region and around the world to come together to prevent further dangerous escalation of the conflict. I will ensure that Britain is at the forefront of these efforts.”
Downing Street said “at least” seven British citizens have been killed in the sickening Hamas attacks that sparked the crisis. Another nine are missing, some of whom are believed to be held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
Mr Sunak held private conversations with the family of a British hostage victim yesterday before traveling.
In a round of interviews in Britain, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said the figures on the number of British hostages are still not entirely clear.
“At the moment the numbers are not entirely clear… we are doing our best to ensure that we help to free the hostages,” he told Times Radio.
“As you know, the Prime Minister has just landed in Israel and the Foreign Minister is visiting several countries to ask for help in these talks and he will no doubt be able to update you once he has made some progress,” he said.
Britain is pushing for the opening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt to get aid and allow British nationals to leave. Britain this week announced a £10 million aid package for Gaza, but there is currently no way to get humanitarian support into the war zone.
Mr Sunak arrived in Israel just 24 hours after Arab leaders pulled out of talks with Joe Biden in protest over the hospital explosion.
The US president met Mr Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, but a planned visit to Jordan was canceled in response to what they called “a major disaster and a heinous war crime”.
Biden blamed the attack on Hamas-linked terrorists, citing US intelligence agencies.
Mr Sunak told MPs that Britain was still assessing the evidence – and criticized the BBC and others for “rushing to the conclusion” that an Israeli airstrike was to blame.
In a two-pronged approach, Secretary of State James Cleverly will also fly to the region tomorrow for a series of diplomatic talks
The ministers are angry about media reporting, including from the BBC, which immediately blamed Israel for the hospital attack. A government source said it was “sloppy reporting that has not helped the situation.”
Privately, Whitehall officials believe that British intelligence analysts are likely to reach the same conclusion as their American counterparts in the coming days.
In a two-pronged approach, Secretary of State James Cleverly will also fly to the region tomorrow for a series of diplomatic talks.
Mr Cleverly, who visited Israel last week, will meet senior figures from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar over the next three days.
A source said the trip was part of international efforts to “maintain regional stability, free hostages and enable humanitarian access to Gaza.” Mr Cleverly said: ‘It is in no one’s interest – in Israel, in the Middle East, or in the wider Middle East – for others to be drawn into this conflict.
“I am meeting with colleagues from influential states in the region to urge calm and stability, facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza and work together to secure the release of hostages.”
The visit to Qatar is likely to raise eyebrows given its role as host to senior figures in Hamas’s political leadership.
But the Gulf state would play a crucial role in securing the release of nearly 200 people captured by Hamas in its attack on Israel this month. Mr Sunak spoke to Qatar’s emir by phone on Tuesday as part of his efforts to help British families ‘get their relatives home’.
Security will be tight during the visit due to growing concerns over the deteriorating situation in the region. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s plane was evacuated on the runway of Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday evening due to rocket attacks.