Israel could face further sanctions if it does not agree Gaza ceasefire – Lammy

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has begun a ground operation targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the enclave.

On Monday, Mr Lammy and his counterparts from 24 other nations including France, Canada and Australia urged Israel to lift restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza in a joint statement.

They condemned the current aid delivery model, backed by the Israeli and American governments, which has reportedly resulted in IDF troops firing on Palestinian civilians in search of food on multiple occasions.

Israel claimed the statement from foreign ministers was “disconnected from reality” and “sends the wrong message to Hamas”.

Mr Lammy toured broadcast studios on Tuesday morning, after having condemned in the House of Commons the “grotesque spectacle” which Palestinians have been subject to.

Asked by ITV’s Good Morning Britain what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, the Foreign Secretary replied: “Well, we’ve announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months.

“There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.

“It’s important that we continue to work with international partners if we are to have the maximum result.

“But what I want to see is a ceasefire and it’s my assessment that once the Knesset rises on July 28, we are more likely to see a ceasefire come into effect.”

He later emphasised to BBC Breakfast he was using language not usually employed by a foreign secretary, who is effectively Britain’s chief diplomat.

Asked for his personal reaction to the scenes in Gaza, Mr Lammy told BBC Breakfast: “I feel the same as the British public: appalled, sickened. I described what I saw, yesterday in Parliament, as grotesque.”

He added: “These are not words that are usually used by a foreign secretary who is attempting to be diplomatic, but when you see innocent children holding out their hand for food, and you see them shot and killed in the way that we have seen in the last few days, of course Britain must call it out.”

Israeli ground troops pushed into areas of Deir al-Balah, where several aid groups are based, for the first time on Monday.

Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in the city, which has avoided widespread devastation during the war, leading to speculation that Hamas holds large numbers of hostages there.

Israel’s offensive has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half of the dead.

It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.