Keir Starmer told Netanyahu that the UK wanted to continue its “vital cooperation” with Israel.
The UK’s new prime minister has stressed the need for a ceasefire and a two-state solution in calls with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, as Israel has shown no willingness to end its devastating war that has killed more than 38,000 people.
Keir Starmer told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there was “a clear and urgent need for a ceasefire, the return of hostages and an immediate increase in the volume of humanitarian aid reaching civilians”.
As opposition leader, Starmer has been accused of failing to call for a ceasefire, taking the same line as Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He called for a ceasefire in February after intense public pressure months after opposing a ceasefire resolution in the British Parliament. He has also been accused of denying tickets to some pro-Palestinian members of the Labour Party, including former party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
At least five pro-Palestinian candidates, including Corbyn, won the election as independents.
Starmer was heavily criticised for saying Israel “had the right” to cut off water and electricity supplies to Gaza in an LBC podcast last October. A Labour Party spokesperson denied that Starmer had justified the water and electricity blockade, saying his comment was in response to a question about Israel’s right to defend itself.
More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, in the Israeli military offensive launched following the October 7 attacks by Palestinian groups on Israel. More than 87,000 people have been injured and thousands are missing.
According to a statement from the new British government, the Prime Minister added that it was “also important to ensure that the long-term conditions for a two-state solution are met, including by ensuring that the Palestinian Authority has the financial means to operate effectively.”
Starmer assured Netanyahu that the UK wanted to continue its “vital cooperation to deter malicious threats” with Israel. Netanyahu’s office did not issue a statement after Sunday’s phone call.
Starmer also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reiterate the same priorities.
“Discussing the importance of reform and ensuring Palestine’s international legitimacy, the Prime Minister said his long-standing policy on recognition to contribute to a peace process had not changed, and that it was the undeniable right of the Palestinians,” a Downing Street spokesman told reporters.
According to the Wafa news agency, Abbas stressed the importance of the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine.
Palestine has been recognised as a sovereign country by more than 140 countries, with Ireland, Spain and Norway being the latest European nations to do so in late May.
The Israeli military continues to severely restrict the flow of international humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, leading to massive malnutrition, particularly among children, according to the United Nations and global aid organizations.
In the phone call with Netanyahu, Starmer also discussed the escalating border fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which continues to threaten to escalate into all-out war.
He said: “The situation on Israel’s northern border is very worrying and it is crucial that all parties act with caution.”
