Sustainable ceasefire needed in Gaza conflict, says Foreign Secretary

The intervention by the Foreign Secretary, made in the Sunday Times in a joint article with the German Foreign Affairs minister Annalena Baerbock, comes amid growing pressure on Israel over its conduct of the fight against Hamas.

The two senior politicians say that neither the UK nor Germany is calling for an immediate ceasefire, but the call for a “sustainable” ceasing of conflict is a significant shift in language by the UK Government.

They wrote: “Our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable.

“We know many in the region and beyond have been calling for an immediate ceasefire. We recognise what motivates these heartfelt calls.

“It is an understandable reaction to such intense suffering, and we share the view that this conflict cannot drag on and on. That is why we supported the recent humanitarian pauses.”

In recent days, the US has also expressed unease over Israel’s failure to reduce civilian casualties and its plans for the future of Gaza.

The offensive, triggered by the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, has flattened much of northern Gaza and driven 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes.

Displaced people have squeezed into shelters mainly in the south in a spiralling humanitarian crisis.

“We do not believe that calling right now for a general and immediate ceasefire, hoping it somehow becomes permanent, is the way forward. It ignores why Israel is forced to defend itself: Hamas barbarically attacked Israel and still fires rockets to kill Israeli citizens every day,” Lord Cameron and Ms Baerbock write.

“Hamas must lay down its arms.”

In a warning to Israel, the two foreign ministers said: “Israel has the right to defend itself but, in doing so, it must abide by international humanitarian law.

“Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful co-existence with Palestinians. They have a right to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas.

“But too many civilians have been killed. The Israeli government should do more to discriminate sufficiently between terrorists and civilians, ensuring its campaign targets Hamas leaders and operatives.”

Meanwhile in an interview with the same paper, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suggested such an approach would see “hostages released, rockets stop flowing and there’s actually a political process in place to make sure that we get to the day after”.

“I’m very concerned about potentially more people dying through illness and sickness than die through even the effects of the kinetic action of the war,” he said.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is also facing public anger, after Israeli troops on Friday mistakenly shot dead three hostages.

The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday that the men had been waving a white flag and were shirtless when they were killed.

Anger over the mistaken killings is likely to increase pressure on the Israeli government to renew Qatar-mediated negotiations with Hamas over swapping more captives for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Amnesty International UK welcomed the “important change of language” from Lord Cameron, but head of government and political relations Karla McLaren warned “a ceasefire in weeks or months will be too late for thousands of desperate civilians in Gaza”.

Meanwhile pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered again this weekend to call for an end to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Organisers Stop the War Coalition listed 57 separate pro-Palestinian events across UK on Saturday, including assemblies and candlelit vigils.