Galloway claims Netanyahu govt has ‘killed and maimed well over 100,000 people in six months’

George Galloway has claimed in the Commons that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has “killed and maimed well over 100,000 people in six months, 72 percent of them women and children”.

The Rochdale MP used a question granted during Wednesday’s PMQs session to ask what pressure Rishi Sunak had put on the Israeli prime minister to avoid what he said would be an “unrestrained war” with Iran.

Galloway asked Sunak if he used a telephone call with Netanyahu on Tuesday evening to urge “restraint” before adding the Israeli “government has killed and maimed over 100,000 people” since October 7th.

Responding Sunak he was “pleased” to speak with Netanyahu who “thanked the UK for their support of Israel’s security over the weekend” against Iran’s drone attacks.

They discussed Iran’s isolation on the world stage, he added.

Sunak said he also made the point that “significant escalation is not in anyone’s interests and it is time for calm heads”.

Later a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Sunak and Netanyahu had spoken for around 30 minutes in a call delayed by around 24 hours due to scheduling issues.

While Sunak had spoken about the threat of Iran’s nuclear programme in the Commons on Monday, this topic did not come up in the phone call with the Israeli PM.

Galloway was elected as MP for Rochdale in February, as Workers Party leader, promising to speak up for the people of Gaza.