19th October, 2023
British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak says the UK fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law, as well as its right to go after Hamas.
Sunak landed in Israel on Thursday morning and met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
He lamented that Israel had lived through the spectre of violence and terrorism for every day of its existence.
Sunak added that he knew Israel is “taking every precaution to avoid harming civilians in direct contrast to the terrorists of Hamas which seek to put civilians in harm’s way.”
Sunak told Netanyahu in a televised address: “I’m proud to stand here with you in Israel’s darkest hour, as your friend. We will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people. And we also want you to win.”
The British PM said everyone had been shocked at the scenes of the hospital blast this week and mourned the loss of innocent civilian life everywhere.
He stated that Palestinian civilians were victims of Hamas too and welcomed Israel’s decision to let aid into the Gaza Strip, adding that the UK would increase aid to the region and try to get more support for people there as quickly as possible.
Israeli PM Netanyahu told Sunak that the British fought the Nazis 80 years ago and that “Hamas are the new Nazis.”
He said this is not just Israel’s battle but also the battle of the civilised and free world and modern Arab countries, saying that the other side is an axis of evil which includes Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.
Referring to the fight against the Nazis in the Second World War, Netanyahu told Sunak that “80 years ago the world stood with you during your darkest hour.
“This is our darkest hour – the world’s darkest hour. This is why I value your support… We must win together.
“That means that this is a long war and we’ll need your continuous support. There’ll be ups and downs and difficulties. The people here are united… We need that unity across the board and continuous support.”