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A top UK official has warned that they are prepared to take further action against Israel if a ceasefire in Gaza is not reached soon.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, the US and Israel have signaled that they are “close” to a possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza, with ongoing negotiations being brokered by the United States in coordination with Egypt and Qatar. The proposed deal, described by US envoy Steve Witkoff as being in its final stages, reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 Israeli captives, and the return of the bodies of nine others. Israel has agreed in principle to the US-backed framework but continues to reject Hamas’s core demand for a full and permanent withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Hamas, for its part, insists that any ceasefire must include a complete Israeli military pullout and a clear path toward ending the siege on Gaza — a condition that remains the key sticking point in the negotiations.
What’s going on now: During a meeting with the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that the United Kingdom is prepared to escalate action against Israel if a ceasefire in Gaza is not secured soon. “Yes. Yes, we will,” Lammy said clearly when asked whether further measures would be taken should the humanitarian crisis continue. He expressed concern over the worsening conditions in Gaza, specifically condemning the aid distribution mechanism backed by the US and Israel (the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation), calling it ineffective and dangerous. “We’ve been very clear that we don’t support the aid foundation that has been set up,” Lammy said. “It’s not doing a good job. Too many people are close to starvation. Too many people have lost their lives.“
Lammy also criticized statements from Israeli officials that appear to support the mass relocation of Gaza’s population, calling such rhetoric a major obstacle to peace. Referring to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s proposal to move over two million Gazans into a “humanitarian zone,” Lammy warned, “I think that would be a big sticking point for getting that ceasefire. I suspect that if he is insistent on that position, then it would be very hard to see how we get that ceasefire because there is an acute discussion about the degree to which the IDF withdraws from Gaza.”
The UK has already taken some diplomatic steps in response to Israel’s conduct during the war. These include suspending negotiations on a free trade agreement, halting some arms exports, and joining allies like Australia and Canada in sanctioning Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for “inciting violence” in the West Bank.
Lammy acknowledged that these actions have not yet led to significant changes in Israeli policy but defended the UK’s approach, stating, “I am very, very comfortable that you would be hard pressed to find another G7 partner or another ally across Europe that’s doing more than this government has done.”
