Lord Cameron visiting Israel following announcement of truce in war with Hamas

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron is visiting Israel following the announcement of a truce in the war with Hamas.

The former prime minister arrived in Israel amid uncertainty about when the pause in the fighting will begin.

The agreement for a four-day ceasefire in Gaza appears to have hit a last-minute snag.

A senior Israeli official said it would not take effect before Friday, a day later than originally expected.

The deal will see the release of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, with Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed by Tel Aviv.

The lull in the fighting is also expected to clear the way for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza to ease the suffering of citizens who have been bombarded and besieged by Israel as it takes on Hamas in response to the October 7 atrocities.

The Foreign Secretary visited Kibbutz Be’eri, scene of some of the worst violence during the Hamas assault.

He said: “I wanted to come here to see it for myself; I have heard and seen things I will never forget.

“Today is also a day where we hope to see progress on the humanitarian pause.

“This is a crucial opportunity to get hostages out and aid in to Gaza, to help Palestinian civilians who are facing a growing humanitarian crisis.”

The Foreign Secretary is expected to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders during his visit.

Lord Cameron’s visit comes a day after he met counterparts from Arab and Islamic countries – including the Palestinian Authority – at Lancaster House in London to discuss the Middle East crisis.

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and Nigeria, as well as the secretary general of the League of Arab States and the ambassador of Qatar, attended the event.

Lord Cameron said the group discussed how to use the planned pause in the Israel-Hamas fighting to consider “how we can build a peaceful future which provides security for Israel but also peace and stability for the Palestinian people”.

But until the truce is implemented, Israel has said it will continue to target Hamas in Gaza.

Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, said Lord Cameron should back a full ceasefire.

He said: “With the horrifying civilian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza still rising and no permanent ceasefire in sight, it’s vital that David Cameron uses this trip to signal an urgently needed change of direction from the UK Government in support of humanity and international law.

“Lord Cameron should inform the Israeli government that the UK will now support a full, negotiated ceasefire on all sides in the interests of averting further civilian suffering for Palestinians and Israelis.

“Short pauses are not enough. Civilian lives in Gaza, Israel and the wider Occupied Palestinian Territory are at stake, and the Foreign Secretary can help shift international momentum in the direction of respect for international law, de-escalation and life-saving aid access.”
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