Cameron, a member of the House of Lords, made evaluations on his country’s foreign policy in the upper house of the British parliament.
Noting that 113 days have passed since he took office on October 7, 2023, Cameron said that they have shown solidarity with Israel but have continued to work for a sustainable ceasefire and for more aid to enter Gaza.
Cameron reminded that they have been warning of famine and epidemic in Gaza for a long time and said, “We are facing a terrible suffering in Gaza.”
Stating that despite warnings, there are deaths from starvation and preventable diseases, Cameron said, “The situation is very bad and we are still working to get more aid in. We have had a number of demands that we have asked Israel to fulfill. But I have to say that the aid entering Gaza in February is about half of what entered in January.”
Minister Cameron said he would meet Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli War Cabinet, who is visiting the UK today.
Noting that patience was running out and a series of steps needed to be taken, Cameron reiterated his calls for a humanitarian pause in the fighting and for the situation in Gaza to improve.
Cameron emphasized the need to open more land and sea corridors to Gaza for humanitarian aid.
Cameron said that all parts of Gaza must be supplied with water and electricity and added: “I must say again from this podium that Israel is an occupying power. It has responsibilities and that has consequences for how we look at whether Israel is acting in accordance with international humanitarian law. This is the most important issue in Gaza.”
Cameron said he saw the events as an opportunity for a political solution and hoped that the humanitarian pause in the conflict would lead first to the release of prisoners and then to a process without a return to hostilities.
Cameron argued that a break in hostilities would pave the way for a more lasting ceasefire, underlining the need for Hamas to disappear.
Cameron argued that the two-state solution will not work as long as Hamas remains in Gaza, saying
“I say again that the UK supports a two-state solution, and one of the steps in that context is to recognize Palestine as a state. I don’t think that’s the first step in the process because it takes the pressure off the Palestinians to reform. But we should also not give Israel veto power, which is an effect of American policy at the moment. So I think that recognizing Palestine is a step that will make the momentum towards a two-state solution unstoppable.”
