UK’s Rishi Sunak heads to Israel for meetings with Netanyahu, Herzog

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Israel on Thursday before heading to other countries in the region in an effort to deescalate the Israel-Gaza conflict, his office has said.

Sunak will land in Israel at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, according to his office.

Sunak will condemn Hamas’s “horrific act of terror” and express condolences for the “terrible loss of life in Israel and Gaza in the last two weeks as a result of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attacks,” according to the statement released by Downing Street ahead of his trip.

“Sunak will also stress that any civilian death is a tragedy and tell fellow leaders that, as an international community, we must not let Hamas’ barbaric terrorism and disregard for human life become a catalyst for further escalation of conflict in the region.”

Sunaks called the “attack” on a Gaza City hospital on Tuesday night “a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict.” 

“I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this effort,” he added.

The explosion Tuesday evening at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza sparked an uproar with terror group Hamas falsely blaming Israeli airstrikes. Israel has presented evidence that the deadly blast in the parking lot of the facility was caused by a misfired rocket launched by Palestinian terrorists.

On his visit to Israel, Sunak is also expected to insist that humanitarian aid, which London recently announced would be increased for the Palestinians, be allowed to arrive at a time when Israel has authorized the entry of aid into Gaza from Egypt, and that Britons stranded in Gaza be allowed to leave.

Source: timesofisrael.com