UK PM Rishi Sunak lands in Israel; will meet Netanyahu, Herzog

Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, United Kingdom PM Rishi Sunak landed in Tel Aviv on Thursday, where he will meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. According to his office, Sunak will share his condolences for the loss of life in Israel and Gaza as a result of the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas, and warn against further escalation of conflict in the region.

I am in Israel, a nation in grief.

I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism.

Today, and always.

סוֹלִידָרִיוּת pic.twitter.com/DTcvkkLqdT

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 19, 2023

“Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost following Hamas’ horrific act of terror,” Sunak said in a statement ahead of his visit. The UK PM will call for the opening up of a route to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza as soon as possible and to make it possible for British nationals trapped in Gaza to depart, reported Reuters. At least seven British nationals have been killed and at least nine are missing since the attack on Israel, Sunak’s spokesperson said on Wednesday. Alongside Sunak’s visit, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who visited Israel last week, will travel to Egypt, Turkey and Qatar over the next three days to discuss the conflict and seek a peaceful resolution, his office said. Earlier, in a post on social media platform X, Sunak condemned the attack on Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.“We are all shocked by the scenes at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital. Our intelligence services are rapidly analysing the evidence to independently establish the facts,” he posted. Thousands of people have been killed on both sides as the war continues to turn brutal with every passing day. With inputs from agencies