British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Israel, focusing on Gaza conflict de-escalation

Israel, October 19: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel on Thursday and is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. During his visit, Sunak plans to convey his condolences for the loss of life in Israel and Gaza resulting from the October 7 attack by Gaza-based Palestinian Hamas gunmen. He also aims to caution against further escalation of the conflict in the region.

In a statement prior to his visit, Sunak expressed his concerns about the recent deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital, emphasising the need for regional leaders and the international community to come together to prevent further dangerous escalation of the conflict. He pledged that Britain would play a prominent role in these efforts.

Additionally, Sunak will advocate for the establishment of a humanitarian aid route from Egypt to Gaza as soon as possible and for the safe evacuation of British nationals stranded in Gaza. It was reported that at least seven British nationals have been killed, and at least nine are currently missing since the attack on Israel.

Concurrently, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who visited Israel last week, will embark on a trip to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar over the next three days to engage in discussions about the conflict and seek a peaceful resolution. The focus of these talks will include efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading, the urgent need to open the Rafah crossing with Egypt to facilitate aid delivery, and the release of hostages by Hamas.

The United Kingdom views Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar as pivotal in international efforts to maintain regional stability, secure the release of hostages, and facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza.

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- With inputs from agencies

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