Foreign secretary: Hamas terrorists have given no sign they would abide by ceasefire
James Cleverly also urges pro-Palestinian supporters to be 'conscious of disinformation and manipulation' following reports Iran is attempting to use the rallies to sow division
Hamas has given no indication that it “desires or would abide by calls for a ceasefire”, according to the foreign secretary.
James Cleverly also urged pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrating on British streets over the weekend to be “conscious of disinformation and manipulation” following reports Iran is attempting to use the rallies to sow division.
The Cabinet minister’s intervention comes as Israel’s military continued to expand its ground operation in Gaza as part of its ongoing retaliation against Hamas’s deadly raids three weeks ago that left 1,400 people, mainly civilians, dead.
A spokesman for Tel Aviv’s military on Saturday said infantry and armoured vehicles were being backed by “massive” strikes from the air and sea in a sign it could be moving closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza.
As part of the stepped-up bombardment of the 25-mile stretch, Israel also knocked out communications and created a near-blackout of information, largely cutting off the 2.3 million people in besieged Gaza from contact with the outside world.
As the Palestinian death toll mounts, with the Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry saying more than 7,000 people have been killed, demands for a ceasefire are growing among UK politicians.
Cleverly said “calls for a ceasefire in the abstract aren’t going to help the situation”.
The UK government’s position, backed by Labour and Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, has been to push for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid into Gaza and to allow people, including 200 trapped British nationals, to escape the territory.
Cleverly told broadcasters: “We have consistently sought to bring about pauses to facilitate the inward passage of humanitarian aid that we are providing and the release of hostages and the evacuation of British nationals in Gaza, so that has been our position from the start.
“Of course we want to see this resolved, we want to see Israel safe, peaceful and secure.
“But, as yet, I have seen or heard nothing from Hamas that gives me any confidence that they desire or would abide by calls for a ceasefire.”
He said the Palestinian militant group “habitually embed military capabilities within civilian infrastructure” in a move he said was “internationally recognised” as “completely inappropriate”.
Cleverly reiterated the government’s position that Israel has a right to defend itself after Hamas’s attack on 7 October.
“Of course we are having conversations and will continue to have conversations with the Israeli military about the preservation of civilian life, about the adherence to international law,” he added.
“But they do have a right to self-defence and throughout this operation, since the atrocities of October 7, Hamas and other terrorist organisations have consistently bombarded Israel from Gaza, from among civilian infrastructure.”
He also had words of caution for those joining demonstrations in the UK in support of Palestine on Saturday.
Police expect about 100,000 people to join a demonstration in London demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, with other rallies organised elsewhere in the UK – including in Manchester and Glasgow.
The Times reported that counter-terrorism officers have privately said Iran is attempting to heighten tensions at rallies over Israel’s bombing of Gaza and were warning of increased hostile-state activity in Britain.
The newspaper said Iranian activity included a campaign of online disinformation and Tehran operatives being physically present at protests.
Iran is reportedly backing Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, another Islamist political and militant group agitating against Israel.
Asked about suggestions that Iran could be attempting to create unrest in the UK, Cleverly said there had “often been attempts to subvert the actions of other people”.
He added: “It is perfectly possible to support the Palestinian people but also to condemn Hamas.
“But, sadly, we do see people being manipulated, subject to disinformation, distortion, and sadly I do think a minority — a small minority — within those protests have got very much more negative aims.
“I would say to everyone involved in the protests, be conscious of this, be conscious about disinformation and manipulation.”
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