The UK, France and Germany have called for an end to the war in Gaza and for Israel to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid” into the area.
“The humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza must end now,” Sir Keir Starmer said in a joint statement with German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron.
But he resisted calls to recognise the state of Palestine immediately.
The three leaders held discussions on the crisis in Gaza amid growing fears of mass starvation in the area.
In their statement they said: “The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay,”
“Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.
“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to carry out their work in order to take action against starvation. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law.”
The PM is under increasing pressure after 221 MPs from across different political parties joined forces to call on the government to recognise a Palestinian state.
France’s decision to recognise Palestine has also added to pressure on the UK to follow suit, as well as divisions within Sir Keir’s own cabinet.
Israel has said that foreign countries can drop aid into Gaza from Friday.
But the UK has called on Israel to work with the UN and others to facilitate a surge of aid into Gaza.
Sir Keir hit out at what he said were “appalling” and “unrelenting” scenes in Gaza.
“The continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible,” he said.
He said he and the other leaders were working on practical solutions that would make a real difference to the lives of those suffering in the war.
He added that he was “unequivocal” that recognition of a Palestinian state had to be one of those steps.
But he said “it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis”.
There is speculation within Labour that Sir Keir may go ahead with recognition of Palestine after he meets Donald Trump in Scotland on Monday, to ensure that the bilateral with the US president is not derailed by the issue.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who came close to losing her seat to a pro-Gaza independent MP in last year’s general election, and several other cabinet ministers are understood to want immediate recognition of Palestine as a state.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has urged the government to recognise Palestine, saying he believed it to be the only way to work towards a two-state solution in the region.
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