Israel urged to 'stop and think seriously' before escalating war in Gaza as ceasefire calls grow
12.02.2024 - 13:03
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Israel has been urged to "stop and think seriously" before it escalates a military offensive in the heavily populated south of Gaza.
David Cameron, the UK Foreign Secretary, spoke out on a visit to East Kilbride today as Israeli forces continue to strike the Palestinian city of Rafah.
It is estimated more than 1.5 million people are sheltering in the area, having fled from the north of Gaza when violence erupted in October last year.
Israel launched a massive military invasion in Gaza after more than 1,200 people were killed on October 7 by Hamas, who also took 253 people hostage.
More than 20,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in the months since.
Cameron said: "We are very concerned about what is happening in Rafah, because let’s be clear the people there, many of who have moved four, five, six times before getting there.
"It really, we think, is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go
"They can’t go south into Egypt, they can’t go north and back to their homes because many have been destroyed.
"So we are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action.
"But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting. We want that pause to lead to a ceasefire, a sustainable ceasefire without a return to further fighting. That is what should happen now.
"We need to get those hostages out, including the British nationals. We need to get the aid in. The best way to do that is to stop the fighting now and turn that into a permanent, sustainable ceasefire."
The SNP and Scottish Labour have both called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Anas Sarwar repeated today his call for an end to fighting.