Rishi Sunak calls on Israel to ‘prioritise protection of civilians’ in Jenin operation

Rishi Sunak has urged Israel to “prioritise” the “protection of civilians as the country launched its biggest operation in years in the West Bank.

The prime minster also reiterated UK support for Israel’s right to self-defence, and condemned Palestinian “terrorist attacks”.

Alicia Kerns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, had earlier told parliament “we stand on the cusp of the Gaza crisis of 2023″ and called for the appointment of a permanent Middle East peace envoy.

Sunak, who was grilled by members of the Liaison Committee in Westminster, said:“We would say the protection of civilians must be prioritised in any military operation, and we urge the IDF to demonstrate restraint in its operation and for all parties to avoid further escalation in both the West Bank and Gaza, both now and in the days ahead.”

He added the UK “also called on Israel to adhere to principles of necessity and proportionality when defending their legitimate security interests.”

Asked whether the UK will bring up the illegal settlements issue to the UN Security Council as it took the presidency on July 3, Sunak said they will “continue to focus on highlighting what’s happening in Ukraine, Russia’s illegal invasion.”

Pressed further on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Sunak stated that the UK has said “settlements are illegal under international law, and we’ve said that they present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two state solution.

“We’ve consistently engaged with Israel and … (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu a little while ago and we’ve repeatedly made clear to as well that we oppose any settlement expansion and we’ve asked the Israeli government to halt and reverse its policy,” he added.

Labour’s Wayne David, the shadow Middle East minister, noted the deeply concerning situation on the ground in the region.

He said his party would “condemn the unacceptable use of violence in all circumstances.”

He added:”Israel has the right to defend itself against militant groups, but that right must be exercised proportionately and in line with international law. I am therefore very concerned that reports suggest there are significant civilian casualties in Jenin.”

David said Labour would “always condemn acts of terrorism” after learning about the Tel Aviv car-ramming incident.

He said the only solution was a two-state one, and called for the government to do more to “lay the foundations” for a peaceful resolution.

Government minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP said she “absolutely condemned” Hamas, and their use of violence, after they claimed responsibility for the Tel Aviv attack.