British Foreign Secretary: The destruction in Gaza is heartbreaking
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy considered on Tuesday that the Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of the two-state solution is a moral and strategic mistake.
This came in a speech during the high-level international conference for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Lammy highlighted the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a genocidal war waged by Israel against the Palestinians for the 22nd month.
“The devastation in Gaza is heartbreaking. Children are dying of hunger, and Israel’s diversion of aid has stunned the entire world,” he said, stressing that it’s an insult to the values of the UN Charter.
The British Foreign Secretary stressed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and a plan to make it sustainable.
He added, “Our history shows that the United Kingdom has a special responsibility to support the two-state solution,” which he said is “in danger”.
He stated that “the Netanyahu government’s rejection of the two-state solution is a moral and strategic mistake… It harms Israeli interests and closes the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace”.
He continued, “We’re determined to preserve the viability of the two-state solution, which is why the British government intends to recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next September”.
He added, “We’ll do so unless the Israeli government takes action to end the deteriorating situation in Gaza, ends its military operations, and commits to a long-term, sustainable peace based on a two-state solution”.
He added, “Our demands regarding Hamas are definitive and unchangeable… We’ll assess the progress made by the parties in implementing these steps before the UN General Assembly convenes… Neither party will have the right to veto this recognition through its actions or inaction”.
Lammy stressed that Britain’s support for Israel’s right to exist and the security of its people remains unwavering.
He added, “The Balfour Declaration included a pledge that nothing would be done that would prejudice the civil and religious rights of the Palestinian people, but this promise has not been fulfilled,” describing the situation as “an ongoing historical injustice”.
He said that recognizing the State of Palestine alone wouldn’t change the situation on the ground, and that his country was taking urgent steps to address the current situation in Gaza, where Israel was imposing hunger and famine.
He explained that these steps include working with our partners in Jordan to airdrop humanitarian supplies, transporting injured children to UK hospitals, and pushing for the resumption of UN aid.
Lammy emphasized that there could be no better vision for the future of the region than the two-state solution, adding that the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians cannot be managed or contained.
Earlier on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, following a cabinet meeting on Gaza, that his country would recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September if Israel didn’t meet certain conditions.
He explained that these conditions include the Israeli government taking concrete steps to end the deteriorating situation in Gaza, accepting a ceasefire, reviving the possibility of a two-state solution, and committing to long-term sustainable peace.
The conference, which kicked off on Monday and will continue until Wednesday, will feature high-level participation to discuss ways to implement the two-state solution and support the process of international recognition of the Palestinian state.
Of the 193 member states of the United Nations, at least 142 recognize the Palestinian state declared by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.
Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would officially recognize Palestine next September.
