Burnham tells UN that Oct 7 Hamas attack and threats to Jews worldwide ‘does not justify’ Netanyahu’s war in Gaza
UK PM tells General Assembly meeting in New York 'I have condemned Oct 7 in the strongest possible terms'
Andy Burnham told the United Nations General Assembly that the Hamas attack on October 7, and ongoing threats from Iran against Israel and Jewish people worldwide, “does not justify” the actions taken by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Gaza or the West Bank.
In his first speech to the UN gathering in New York, the UK Prime Minister described the Hamas attack in October 2023 as “utterly horrific.”
He said, “I have condemned Oct 7 in the strongest possible terms. We continue to condemn Hamas, and we stand with Israel in the face of the ongoing threats, including from Iran, against Israel and Jewish people around the world.”
However, Burnham insisted, “This does not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank; far too many people have died, including so many children. Far too little aid is getting in, and it has gone on for far too long.”
He then spoke of UK action against Israel over West Bank settlement expansion saying:”Just eight weeks into becoming Prime Minister, working with my Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, I comprehensively reset our position, and we built an international coalition of countries to come with us.”
“We will not stand by as the horrific suffering continues to grow, and the prospect of a two-state solution, the best hope for peace and stability for both nations, comes under attack.”
He said:”So we have acted by banning trade in goods with illegal settlements, recognising that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, and sanctioning those participating in the construction of illegal settlements.”
“We want to see the suffering and death finally come to an end. We want to see Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security, and we will do all we can to keep hope for that possibility alive. We also recognise that we live in an age of low trust in politics.”
Earlier on Tuesday Burnham strongly defended his government’s decision to impose sanctions on Israel over West Bank settlements during a press conference alongside Donald Trump.