The UK government has sanctioned two Israeli ministers for inciting “extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze under the measures announced by Britain alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
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The move has been condemned by the Israeli government, which said it was “outrageous”.
Both men belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government.
Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza’s people to be resettled from the territory.
In a joint statement with the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, foreign secretary David Lammy said: “We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution and will continue to work with our partners towards its implementation.
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“It is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.
“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.
“We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.”
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A No.10 spokesman said: “These sanctions apply to the individuals in their personal capacities, not their ministries and departments.
“Ben-Gvir and Smotrich do not speak for all Israeli people … and have a long history of dangerous extremist and inflammatory views.
“As the Israeli ambassador to the UK has said in recent interviews, their statements in their ministerial capacities do not even represent government policy.
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“Their agenda and actions undermine the interests of Israeli people, including security, many Israelis see this.
“So, today, with our international partners, we have announced measures against those ministers in a personal capacity.”
In a statement, the Israeli government said: “It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures.”
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations broke down in tears over the “unbearable” loss of children in Gaza on Wednesday.
Riyad Mansour sobbed as he unpacked the humanitarian crisis developing in the Palestinian territory, triggered by Israel’s blockade of aid and ongoing offensive against Hamas.
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Israel launched a full-scale offensive into Gaza in October 2023 in response to the Hamas attack on Israeli soil, where the militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
After 19 months of war in the region, more than 50,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed.
The US did manage to broker a two-month ceasefire earlier this year, but Israel stunned the international community when it resumed its deadly airstrikes in March killing more than 400 people.
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There is growing international unease over Israel’s ongoing military actions.
Israel’s allies – the UK, France and Canada – slammed the country’s “egregious actions” in Gaza last week, warning they would initiate joint action unless the war stops.
Speaking at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Mansour sobbed as he explained just how dire the situation is in Gaza right now.
He said: “Since Israel broke the ceasefire in March, over 1,300 Palestinian children have been killed and around 4,000 have been injured.
“These are children and still a war against barbarism. Children! Dozens of children are dying of starvation.
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“The images of mothers embracing their motionless bodies, caressing their hair, talking to them, apologising to them, is unbearable.”
“How could anyone?” He added, before putting his head in his hand and crying.
“To see the situation of the Palestinians without us having the heart to do something is beyond the ability of any normal human being to tolerate,” Mansour continued.
“Flames and hunger are devouring Palestinian children. This is why we are so outraged as Palestinians, everywhere, the 14 million of us [around the world].”
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He continued: “Nothing can justify attacking Palestinians, whether Palestinians or Israelis, double standards no more.
“We are human beings. We are proud Palestinians. We sit around this table. We should be treated exactly like everybody else.”
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations held back tears talking about the ‘unbearable’ loss of children in Gaza since ‘Israel broke a ceasefire in March’.
Riyad Mansour says ‘nothing justifies attacking children’ and adds ‘dozens’ are dying of starvation as people… pic.twitter.com/MyxaYYLFLT
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The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations held back tears talking about the ‘unbearable’ loss of children in Gaza since ‘Israel broke a ceasefire in March’.
Riyad Mansour says ‘nothing justifies attacking children’ and adds ‘dozens’ are dying of starvation as people… pic.twitter.com/MyxaYYLFLT
(Warning: Distressing photos and graphic medical details throughout.)
Dr. Razan Al-Nahhas just returned to Chicago from a volunteering stint in Gaza, where for two months the emergency physician mostly treated visibly malnourished Palestinian children at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital ― an increasingly common sight since Israel began attacking the territory 19 months ago, and stopped all food and aid deliveries 70 days ago.
Al-Nahhas said she initially felt confused when she didn’t see improvement in the health of her paediatric patients within days, or even weeks, of treatment. The doctor recalled a 9-year-old girl who came in with lung injuries from an explosion, and was extubated days into being at the ICU.
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“Anywhere else, she would have been out of the ICU within a few days. She was intubated and extubated and intubated and extubated, I think four or five times,” she told HuffPoston Thursday. “When I left [Gaza], she was still in the ICU. She had been there for almost three weeks. And this was a consistent theme I was experiencing with patients that I would see in the ER.”
The doctor realised that paediatric patients were not improving because they are severely malnourished and dehydrated ― lacking the carbohydrates for energy, the fats to reduce inflammation, and the protein to build and repair tissue, skin and muscles.
Suwar Ashur, 5 months, is being treated for malnutrition at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on May 1. Suwar is one of thousands of children experiencing malnutrition as a result of Israel’s total blockade of food and humanitarian assistance.
Doaa Albaz/Anadolu via Getty Images
For this story, HuffPost heard from more than a dozen health care workers ― most of whom are physicians ― who have either recently volunteered or are currently working in Gaza’s hospitals.
“I witnessed Gaza’s health care workers handle mass casualty incidents with competence and preparedness that surpasses the best trauma centers in this country,” said Dr. Brennan Bollman, who recently returned to the U.S. from volunteering in Gaza. “But they cannot heal people without supplies and medicines. And no matter how skilled they are in caring for the horrific wounds caused by bombs, the human body cannot heal without food.”
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Ten weeks ago, Israel launched its blockade preventing all aid ― including food, water, shelter and medical supplies ― from entering the territory that has been destroyed to the point where the population of 2.3 million is forced to rely entirely on humanitarian assistance for their survival. Scenes documented by Palestinians on the ground show crowds tightly packed at food distribution centres, while difficult photos and videos of starving children circulate online.
The food and aid scarcity has doctors and experts begging for Israel to reopen Gaza’s humanitarian corridors before more Palestinian families starve to death. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year, according to UNICEF, with hundreds more unable to access help due to displacement. At least 57 children have died from the effects of malnutrition since the blockade began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
“I’ve seen children who are dying from starvation. I will tell you, children who die from starvation do not even cry toward the end, they don’t have the energy,” said Dr. Mohammed Kuziez, a paediatrician who volunteered in Gaza. “And eventually their heart rate just slows down until their heart eventually gives out.”
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“Children who die from starvation do not even cry toward the end, they don’t have the energy.”
– Dr. Mohammed Kuziez
The World Food Program’s rations ran out weeks ago, and the World Central Kitchen closed most of its community soup kitchens because it has no more food. The World Health Organization only has enough supplies to treat 500 children with acute malnutrition ― “a fraction of the urgent need,” Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in Palestine, said on Tuesday.
“Believe it or not, people no longer care about bombs, rockets or even death. What consumes them now is food, how to find it, how to feed their children,” said Areej, a member of aid group Mercy Corps in Gaza who remains anonymous out of safety concerns. “It’s impossible to describe how hard life has become. People walk around in a daze, dizzy from malnutrition and despair.”
Three indicators of famine must rise above specific thresholds before qualifying as IPC5, the group’s most severe rating: food consumption, acute malnutrition in children and non-trauma mortality, primarily from malnutrition and disease. Experts stress that Gaza’s lack of a formal famine label from the IPC does not mean the people in the region aren’t already starving, nor does it mean governments should wait to act until such a label is given.
“We are seeing … children who cannot get even one full meal a day, and mothers forced to split one piece of bread among five kids. People walk for hours just to reach food distribution points, and many go back empty-handed because there simply isn’t enough,” said Rana Soboh, nutrition officer in North Gaza for aid group MedGlobal. “We are seeing children with wasted bodies and swollen bellies from malnutrition.”
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Jihad Saad sits at the Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City, on May 4. Saad is one of dozens of children inside the hospital suffering from severe malnutrition due to Israel’s total blockade of food and aid.
Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing Gaza’s humanitarian aid, called the IPC report “alarmist” and “misleading,” claiming it does not account for the “massive volume of aid, especially food, that entered Gaza during the ceasefire.” Data has shown the aid that entered Gaza during the ceasefire earlier this year was still dramatically lower than what was required.
“At any given moment at Rafah crossing, there is a lineup of trucks, a convoy worth, that extends three to five miles on any given day. And them being held up at Rafah crossing results in the spoilage of the materials and goods you’re trying to move through,” said Dr. Marybeth Brownlee, whose experience includes field feeding operations in threatening environments.
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“So even if you get these trucks through, if they were to encounter things that I call bureaucratic warfare ― where crossing through they get to the checkpoint and it’s like, you need to fill out this form in triplicate, and you used a staple instead of a paper clip ― these are things that do happen,” she continued. “This further delays the aid delivery.”
The Israeli military’s relentless bombing on Gaza’s people and infrastructure means Palestinians are constantly at risk of injury, sickness and death. But hospitals are either under siege, or lack enough fuel and medical supplies, making it difficult to receive adequate treatment. Al-Nahhas recalled trying, unsuccessfully, to save the lives of four babies killed by one explosion. Bollman witnessed children “severely burned, broken apart, blown open.” Dr. Hamza Nabhan said most of the children he treats at Indonesian Hospital have intracranial hemorrhaging or subdural hematomas. Dr. Ahmed Al-Farah said rockets caused children to suffer burns, as well as injuries to their liver and bowels.
“I really think that we’re getting to that point where these people are just going to start dying in the thousands very soon, of starvation [and] lack of access to proper medical care,” Al-Nahhas said.
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Palestinians crowd together in hopes of receiving a hot meal, in Nuseirat refugee camp, in Gaza on May 13. Israel’s total blockade on food and humanitarian assistance has led to the mass starvation of Palestinian children.
Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images
The doctors themselves also face starvation, working for 24-48 hours straight with, usually, just a little rice in their stomachs. Hospital staff are fatigued, working at a quarter of their capacity while struggling to maintain morale, Al-Nahhas told HuffPost.
Al-Farah said that his hospital in Khan Younis asked the community to donate blood to help save lives during mass casualty events. But when staff conducted blood tests, they found that all of the donors were themselves anemic from lack of nutrition.
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The doctor, who heads the paediatric and maternity building at Nasser Hospital, added that the intense stress facing thousands of malnourished and displaced pregnant women often result in premature births, with many of the babies struggling with sepsis, respiratory issues and congenital abnormalities. If the children are lucky enough to survive infection, Al-Farah said they will still likely develop neurological conditions.
“Babies in the first three years need amino acids, need free fatty acids, need essential amino acids, need a trace element, need iron, need everything,” he said. “So we are talking about a miserable situation that affects this generation of Palestinian children.”
Severe vitamin deficiencies in starving children can result in what the doctors said are micronutrient disorders like night blindness, anemia, rickets, nerve-related illnesses and scurvy. Kuziez said that people in Gaza were already experiencing vitamin deficiencies because the blockade banned fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.
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“I really think that we’re getting to that point where these people are just going to start dying in the thousands very soon.”
– Dr. Razan Al-Nahhas
Several doctors also stressed that malnourished Palestinian children will also experience poor brain development and mental health. Without enough nutrients, children may become nonverbal, find it difficult to concentrate and struggle with information processing.
“Our children are suffering from nightmares, memory loss, involuntary urination and severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD,” Nabhan said. “Over 95,000 children are trapped in this invisible agony, wounds that can’t be seen are far deeper than any physical injury.”
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Children “historically have the ability to heal and recover from things like PTSD a lot better than adults do,” Kuziez said before adding that the trauma they’re facing first has to stop. And as Israel’s blockade shows no sign of opening, the doctor warned that more Palestinians will die from the effects of severe acute malnutrition.
“Even if today this blockade was to end, a significant portion of these children are still liable to suffer severe long-term effects and death because of the lack of a strong medical infrastructure,” he said. “Kids who have been starved and deprived, when you provide food to them, develop something called refeeding syndrome. We saw this with people who were freed from the death camps after the Holocaust, that’s how we know about this condition.”
Osama Kamal Al Rakab suffers from malnutrition in the town of Beni Suheyl, in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on April 14. Israel’s total blockade of food and humanitarian assistance has led to the mass starvation of Palestinian children.
“To think this is happening again ― how could we be repeating the same genocidal behavior of the starvation that was perpetrated?” said Dr. Dannie Ritchie, a Brown University professor whose Jewish father fought in World War II. “This is a humanitarian disaster and crime, and it must be stopped. We need to let the children eat. We need to be able to take care of the families so that they can take care of the children. Let the children eat, let the people eat. Stop this genocide.”
Asked during an interview with HuffPost UK if this is a subject they have an opinion on, Nemo responded: “Yeah, I do. I personally feel like it doesn’t make sense that Israel is a part of this Eurovision. And of Eurovision in general right now.
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“I don’t know how much I want to get into detail, but I would say, I don’t support the fact that Israel is part of Eurovision at the moment.”
Nemo later supplied HuffPost UK with an additional statement, which read: “I support the call for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.
“Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights.”
“The EBU is not immune to global events but, together, with our members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.
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“We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.”
Their response continued: “As a reminder, the EBU is an association of public service broadcasters, not governments, who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year if they meet the requisite requirements.
“It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts. As part of its mission to secure a sustainable future for public service media, the EBU is supporting our Israeli Member KAN against the threat from being privatised or shut down by the Israeli government.
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“The EBU remains aligned with other international organisations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”
Despite their past support for Palestine, Nemo said elsewhere in the conversation that there was “never” a question of them withdrawing from last year’s competition, as they wanted to use the Eurovision stage to tell their personal story through their song, The Code.
“It was very much just me realising that this story is important to tell. And if I’m not there to tell it, and to say it, then no one else will,” they claimed.
Nemo continued: “I think I could have not gone through all of that if I was just singing kind of a song that was a cute song, and I would feel happy singing it. I needed this sense of direction and purpose, and that was what never made me even question being there.”
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“And that’s how it feels for me this year, as well,” they added, looking ahead to their performance at the upcoming contest.
These changes mean audience members are allowed to wave any flags or emblems they like (as long as they don’t violate any Swiss laws), while acts on stage or in “official spaces” are forbidden from holding any flag other than that of their own country.
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As a result, this means that Pride flags are effectively banned from the Eurovision stage this year, a move which Nemo branded “stupid as fuck”.
Nemo brought the non-binary flag with them on stage at last year’s Eurovision
Martin Sylvest Andersen via Getty Images
“That’s so dumb,” they said. “I don’t get it. It’s so random sometimes. I just feel like… why? You know what I mean?
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“You can’t be known for like the queerest thing in the world, basically, a contest that has been associated with queerness and gay culture for so long, and then be like, ‘oh, we don’t allow Pride flags for the artists’.
“And especially after last year, when I had to smuggle in the non-binary flag, and they were like, ‘you can’t have it on stage’, they told me. And then after the contest, the official statement was like, ‘it was never forbidden’. But then this year, they’re pro-actively [forbidding flags on stage]. I don’t know, it’s very strange to me.”
“I don’t know, it feels a bit confusing to me,” Nemo continued. “Also, this rule feels not thought through, at all. I don’t know who decided that, and how they decided it, and what was the reason for it, especially after last year, but it just feels strange. It feels not really thought through. I don’t know.”
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They added: “It doesn’t even feel ill-intended. I don’t know, I’m confused by it. I think that’s the only thing I can say. I don’t think it makes sense at all.
“And it’s harming, I feel like, the cause of Eurovision. I don’t know, it’s just weird to me.”
Following their win at Eurovision in 2024, Nemo is among the guest performers at this year’s contest, which is due to take place in Basel later this month.
They also recently unveiled their latest single Casanova, the music video for which you can watch below.
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Read HuffPost UK’s full interview with Nemo next week.
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dance\n\nVerse 2\nSpin me roundPin me down\nI got nothing to lose\nMa ma ma make me kiss the ground\nTouch the clouds\nSend my head through the roof\nWhat’ you waiting for baby?\nT-touch me till I feel alive\nYou don’t have to go chase me\nYou know I come back every time\nCut the light\nRead my mind\nYeah you know what to do\n\nChorus\nPut put put put put\nYour hands on my shoulders\nShow me how to dance \nTake me there Casanova\nTe te tell me who I am\nPut your hands on my shoulders\nShow me how to dance\n\n#Nemo #Casanova","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3WGAH3pYGbI/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Nemo – Casanova (Official Music 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Kemi Badenoch is facing backlash for supporting Israel after the country refused entry to two Labour MPs.
Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed travelled to Israel and were planning to go on to the West Bank, but they – together with their aides – were questioned by the Israeli authorities and turned back on Saturday.
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They were allegedly suspected of planning to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.
While the UK government has made it clear this was “unacceptable”, Badenoch has suggested otherwise.
“What I think is shocking is that we have MPs in Labour who other countries will not allow through. I think that is very significant.”
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She added: “If you look at the reasons the Israeli government has given, they don’t believe [the MPs] are going to comply with their laws. MPs do not have diplomatic immunity. I believe the people who represent us in parliament should be able to go anywhere in the world and people not be worried about what they’re going to do.”
She added the UK “does the same thing” and refuses entry to plenty of people.
“I don’t think we should be setting precedents in a different way,” she said.
However, just hours later, the Tory shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Richard Fuller, seemed to contradict Badenoch during his own interview on Times Radio.
He said: “I haven’t seen the details of the MPs, whether on an official trip or a personal trip. But, you know, any member of parliament who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country. They’re going there to be better informed about the situation and then report back to their parliamentary colleagues about what they have found.”
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He added: “I think we should all be very worried about democracy. Democracy isn’t a guarantee in life. Freedom isn’t guaranteed.”
Meanwhile, foreign secretary David Lammy quickly slammed Badenoch’s comments on X.
He said: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs.
“Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?
“This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party.”
.@KemiBadenoch it’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?
This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party. https://t.co/91W4H9vLWt
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"David Lammy","author_url":"https://twitter.com/DavidLammy","cache_age":86400,"description":".@KemiBadenoch it’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party. https://t.co/91W4H9vLWt— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) April 6, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"David Lammy on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/1908823855872839712","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"67f2566ae4b09ea2d0a332b2","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/badenoch-slammed-for-supporting-israel-for-detaining-mps_uk_67f2566ae4b09ea2d0a332b2","entryTagsList":"israel,david-lammy,kemi-badenoch,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"67f2566ae4b09ea2d0a332b2","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Israel","slug":"israel","links":{"relativeLink":"news/israel","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel"},"relegenceId":3989007,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel/"},{"name":"david lammy","slug":"david-lammy","links":{"relativeLink":"news/david-lammy","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy"},"relegenceId":3598532,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy/"},{"name":"kemi badenoch","slug":"kemi-badenoch","links":{"relativeLink":"news/kemi-badenoch","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
.@KemiBadenoch it’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?
This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party. https://t.co/91W4H9vLWt
Badenoch then hit back at the Labour politician, saying: “Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.
“Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament.”
Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.
Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament. https://t.co/lLd5aNtCHU
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Kemi Badenoch","author_url":"https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch","cache_age":86400,"description":"Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament. https://t.co/lLd5aNtCHU— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) April 6, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Kemi Badenoch on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch/status/1908847396890570917","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"67f2566ae4b09ea2d0a332b2","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/badenoch-slammed-for-supporting-israel-for-detaining-mps_uk_67f2566ae4b09ea2d0a332b2","entryTagsList":"israel,david-lammy,kemi-badenoch,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"67f2566ae4b09ea2d0a332b2","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Israel","slug":"israel","links":{"relativeLink":"news/israel","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel"},"relegenceId":3989007,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel/"},{"name":"david lammy","slug":"david-lammy","links":{"relativeLink":"news/david-lammy","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy"},"relegenceId":3598532,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy/"},{"name":"kemi badenoch","slug":"kemi-badenoch","links":{"relativeLink":"news/kemi-badenoch","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.
Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament. https://t.co/lLd5aNtCHU
The foreign secretary had already responded to the initial incident, describing it as “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning”.
He said: “I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this no way to treat British Parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.”
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The Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee Emily Thornberry also criticised Badenoch over her remarks earlier in the day, saying: “These are two young women who are potential leaders, people listen to what they say.”
She said: “Israel is badly advised to try and alienate them, to try to humiliate them and to try to treat them in this way.”
Thornberry explained this was an “insult to Britain and an insult to parliament”.
“I am outraged, and I cannot believe that the leader of the opposition would simply take on the face of it what the Israeli government says,” the Labour MP said.
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“Because we know there are times when what the Israeli government say the first time isn’t what they say when they’ve had a chance to think about it.”
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — More than 50,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the territory’s Health Ministry said on Sunday.
Israel’s military also sent ground troops into part of the southern city of Rafah as thousands of Palestinians fled after new evacuation orders.
Israel ended the latest ceasefire last week with a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds, and it has launched ground incursions in northern Gaza. It says it is targeting militants.
Israel’s Cabinet late Saturday approved a proposal to set up a new directorate for advancing the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians in line with US President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate Gaza and rebuild it for others.
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Palestinians say they do not want to leave their homeland, and rights groups say the plan could amount to expulsion in violation of international law.
‘Displacement under fire’
The military ordered people to leave Rafah’s already heavily destroyed Tel al-Sultan neighborhood on foot along a single route to Muwasi, a sprawling area of squalid tent camps. The war has forced most of Gaza’s population of over two million to flee within the territory, often multiple times.
“It’s displacement under fire,” said Mustafa Gaber, a journalist who left with his family. He said tank and drone fire echoed nearby. “There are wounded people among us. The situation is very difficult,” he said.
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“The shells are falling among us and the bullets are (flying) above us,” said Amal Nassar, also displaced from Rafah. “The elderly have been thrown into the streets. An old woman was telling her son, ‘Go and leave me to die.’ Where will we go?”
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it lost contact with a team of medics responding to the strikes. Spokeswoman Nebal Farsakh said some were wounded.
There was no immediate comment from Israel’s military, which says it only targets militants. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas.
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Strikes kill Hamas leader, women and children
Hamas said Salah Bardawil, a well-known member of its political bureau, was killed in a strike in Muwasi that also killed his wife.
Hospitals in southern Gaza said they received a further 24 bodies from strikes overnight, including several women and children.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said 50,021 Palestinians have been killed in the war and more than 113,000 have been wounded. That includes 673 people killed since Israel’s bombardment on Tuesday shattered the ceasefire.
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Dr. Munir al-Boursh, the ministry’s general director, said the dead include 15,613 children, with 872 of them under 1 year old.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children make up over half the dead. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
Ceasefire in tatters
The ceasefire that took hold in January paused more than a year of fighting ignited by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack into Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. Most captives have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
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In the latest ceasefire’s first phase, 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others were released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces pulled back, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to return to what remains of their homes. There was a surge in humanitarian aid until Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza earlier this month to pressure Hamas to change the ceasefire agreement.
The sides were supposed to begin negotiations in early February on the ceasefire’s next phase, in which Hamas was to release the remaining 59 hostages — 35 of them believed to be dead — in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Those talks never began. Israel backed out of the ceasefire agreement after Hamas refused Israeli and US-backed proposals to release more hostages ahead of any talks on a lasting truce.
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Hundreds of Israelis gathered outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem on Sunday to protest his handling of the war and his attempt to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet internal security service.
“I’m worried for the future of this country. And I think it has to stop. We have to change direction,” said one protester, Avital Halperin.
New settlements in the West Bank
Israel’s cabinet passed a measure Sunday creating 13 new settlements in the occupied West Bank by rezoning existing ones, according to Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister, who is in charge of settlement construction.
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This brings the number of settlements, considered illegal by the majority of the international community, to 140, said anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now. They will now receive independent budgets from Israel and can elect their own local governments, the group said.
Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen keep up attacks
In a separate development, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are allied with Hamas, launched another missile at Israel overnight. The Israeli military said it was intercepted, and there were no reports of casualties or damage.
The Houthis resumed attacks on Israel after it ended the Gaza ceasefire, portraying them as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians. Trump ordered the renewal of US strikes on the rebels last week over its previous attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
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The rebels have said they are trying to blockade Israel, but most of the ships they have targeted have no connection to the conflict.
Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed.
While negotiators in Qatar announced an agreement had been reached on Wednesday evening, it is not yet set in stone as the Israeli cabinet have still to vote in favour of it.
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Here’s what you need to know.
Recap: How did the Israel-Hamas war start?
While tensions between the two sides have been high ever since the state of Israel was established in 1948, this particular war started on October 7, 2023.
Hamas militants, backed by the Iranian regime, crossed into Israeli land and killed 1,200 people and took a further 251 others hostage.
Israel declared war on Gaza – where Hamas is based – and launched a land offensive, locking down the Palestinian territory borders and bombarding the territory with missiles.
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The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says there have been more than 46,600 deaths in the region since the war began.
But, according to an independent study published in The Lancet, this is an underestimate. The researchers claim Israeli forces have killed more than 64,000 people in Gaza since October 2023.
The vast majority of the territory’s 2.3 million population has also been displaced due to the war, with little food, fuel, medicine or shelter due to the Israeli obstruction of aid at Gaza’s borders.
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As of January 15, it is believed there are 94 Israeli people still being held in Gaza, 34 of whom are presumed dead.
The war also increased tensions between Israel and other Iranian proxies across the Middle East, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire deal in November 2024.
Smoke rises following an explosion in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.
via Associated Press
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What are the terms of the new ceasefire agreement?
If signed off, the deal will come into effect from Sunday – meaning fighting continues on the ground right now – and there will be three phases.
The first six-week phase will see 33 Hamas hostages – children, women, the elderly, the sick and injured – released.
In exchange, Israel will free a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including around 1,000 who were detained after the October 7 attacks.
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Once the deal is agreed to, the names of all those due for release – some of whom are serving time for murder or terrorism – will be published and the families of any victims will have 48 hours to appeal.
Israeli troops will then begin withdrawing from built up urban areas and relocating to buffer zones which are no more than 700 metres inside Gaza’s border with Israel.
However, that could exclude Israel’s 4km militarised belt across the middle of the territory which is meant to control movement in Gaza. That withdrawal will be staggered.
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Israel will also allow displaced Palestinians in the south to head north again, and up to 600 trucks of aid may be permitted into the area, which is currently in the throes of a major humanitarian crisis.
It’s not clear if displaced Gazans will be screened before returning to their homes, as Israeli negotiators had asked.
Wounded civilians will also be allowed to leave the territory for treatment.
The Rafah crossing with Egypt will be opened a week after the first phase begins.
Israeli forces would be able to stay near the Gaza-Egypt border in the Philadelphi Corridor temporarily, but will have to withdraw completely by the 50th day after the deal comes into effect.
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The subsequent two stages would be negotiated once the first stage of the ceasefire has started – meaning sustained peace is still pretty precarious.
It’s thought Hamas may agree to release the remaining living captives and Israel would free further Palestinian prisoners while also completely withdrawing from Gaza.
They have been agreed to in principle and mediators in Egypt, Qatar and the US promised Hamas the subsequent stages would be agreed to before stage 1′s six weeks is up.
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However, Israel has refused to offer a written guarantee that it would not resume its attacks after the first phase, when the Hamas captives are returned.
The far-right members of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet could also refuse to any such further agreements, as they have previously called for the PM to push his troops forward in Gaza until Hamas are fully defeated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024.
via Associated Press
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This is yet to be hashed out, but will most likely see all the remaining bodies of the Hamas hostages who died in captivity returned.
A three to five year reconstruction plan for Gaza may also be on the cards, overseen by international authorities.
It remains unclear exactly who would rule Gaza after the ceasefire as it is currently under Hamas’ control.
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The US want to reform the Palestinian Authority – which is in control in the West Bank – to take over.
Top US diplomat Antony Blinken said Arab states should provide security in the short term, although many such countries may only agree if there is a scheme for Palestinian statehood outlined.
Israel is opposed to Palestinian statehood, but is yet to offer an alternative.
Who put forward the final plan?
The US, Qatar and Egypt developed the plan and presented it to both Israel and Hamas.
Envoys for both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have tried to take credit for any success, although it was the outgoing Democrat president who first outlined the plan eight months ago.
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In a press conference on Wednesday, he said: “The result [is] not only of the extreme pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran – but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy.”
But Biden also gave his successor a nod of recognition during his speech, acknowledging that Trump pressured both parties earlier this month and demanded the release of hostages before the president’s inauguration.
The president-elect posted on social media that the deal “could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November”.
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Netanyahu thanked them both, while Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the deal was a “milestone in the conflict with the enemy” – although he warned the Palestinians “will not forget, and we will not forgive”.
Why did they reach an agreement now?
US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said the deal is similar to the one put forward last May but it’s thought the upcoming change in the White House was the biggest driver.
Trump’s inauguration (January 20) has applied pressure to the talks – and it’s thought Benjamin Netanyahu was hoping to seal the deal as a welcome present for the president-elect’s return.
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According to the Israeli media, Trump’s envoy told the Israeli PM over the weekend that a peace deal had to happen.
Representatives from Israel and Hamas then started to conduct indirect talks in the same building for the first time.
Blinken also pointed to regional changes, saying in a press conference on Tuesday: “Hamas has been decimated. Iran is on its back foot.”
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He said Hezbollah is also a “shadow of its former self” and pointed out that the Assad regime in Syria had also fallen.
Keir Starmer has warned Israel that the world is running out of patience with it over the “dire humanitarian situation” in Gaza.
The prime minister said there cannot be “any more excuses” as he called on Tel Aviv to allow vital aid to get into the war-torn territory.
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He also said the killing on Thursday of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israel “provides an opportunity for a step towards that ceasefire that we have long called for”.
Starmer was speaking in Berlin following talks with American president Joe Biden, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron.
The PM said “no-one should mourn” the death of Sinwar, who he said had “the blood” of both Israelis and Palestinians on his hands.
“Allies will keep working together to de-escalate across the region, because we know there is no military-only solution,” he said.
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“The answer is diplomacy and now we must make the most of this moment.
“What is needed now is a ceasefire, immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, immediate access to humanitarian aid and a return to the path towards the two-state solution. as the only way to deliver long-term peace and security.”
Starmer said the UK continues to “strongly support” Israel’s right to self-defence, but urged Tel Aviv to do more to help Gazans suffering due to the war.
He said: “The dire humanitarian situation cannot continue and I say once again to Israel, the world will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance.
“Civilians in northern Gaza need food now. The UK strongly supports [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency] in the vital work it does in Gaza, across the [occupied Palestinian territories] and the region.
“UNRWA must be allowed to continue its life-saving support. The suffering must end, including in Lebanon, where we also need a ceasefire to implement a political plan.”
Keir Starmer has ruled out a complete ban on UK arms sales to Israel – but warned that the Middle East cannot endure another year of war.
Speaking on the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel which killed more than 1,200 innocent civilians, the prime minister insisted the country had the right to defend itself.
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But as the death toll continues to rise in Gaza and Lebanon, Starmer urged all sides in the conflict to “step back from the brink” before it is too late.
The government sparked outrage last month by announcing that around 30 arms exports licences to Israel were being suspended, out of a total of around 350.
In the Commons on Monday, independent MP Zarah Sultana called on the PM to go even further.
She said: “In light of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, the violence in the West Bank and invasion of Lebanon, I ask the prime minister if he believes Israel’s right to self defence justifies a death toll, according to research by US medical professionals who work in Gaza, has now surpassed 118,000, as well as the 2,000 people killed in Lebanon.
“Will he do what is morally and legally right and end the government’s complicity in war crimes by banning all arms sales to Israel, including F-35 fighter jets, not just 30 licences. Yes or no?”
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The PM replied: “No. But it is a really serious point. Banning all sales would mean none for defensive purposes, on the anniversary of October 7 and days after a huge attack by Iran into Israel, would be the wrong position for this government and I will not take it.”
In a statement marking one year on from the October 7 Hamas attacks, Starmer said: “We support Israel’s right to defend herself against Iran’s aggression in line with international law.”
But he added: “The region cannot endure another year of this.
“Civilians on all sides have suffered too much. All sides must now step back from the brink and find the courage of restraint.”
He said Hamas’ actions on October 7 were supported by Iran, which played a “malign role” in the region, also backing Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and the Yemen-based Houthis.
The prime minister said the first anniversary of the attack was a “day of grief” for the wider Middle East.
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“Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, tens of thousands orphaned, almost two million displaced, facing disease, starvation, desperation, without proper healthcare or shelter.
The UK has suspended some arms exports to Israel after a review found there was “a clear risk” of them being used to break international humanitarian law in Gaza.
Foreign secretary David Lammy told the Commons that around 30 arms exports licences are being suspended, out of a total of around 350.
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He said the government had a “legal duty” to review such licences where it is believed that international law could be broken.
Lammy said: “It is with regret that I inform the House today the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
He said the arms sales involved included “equipment that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza”.
The foreign secretary added: “This is not a blanket ban, this is not an arms embargo. It targets around 30, approximately of 350 licenses to Israel in total, for items which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza. The rest will continue.”
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Lammy – who described himself as “a liberal, progressive Zionist” – also insisted the government’s decision is “not a determination of innocence or guilt” on Israel’s part.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said: “This action should have been taken long ago by the previous government, who failed to take any leadership on the matter.
“Liberal Democrats welcome this announcement as a step forward from the government.”
But Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said it was “shameful gesture politics to appease the hard left”.
“Sir Keir Starmer has put party management first, and Britain’s interests second.
“Britain should be standing with our ally Israel as it defends itself, and the world, against Iran’s war of state-sponsored terrorism.”
