Palestinian ambassador demands UK 'enforces' international law in Gaza
Husam Zomlot said that Israel's designs on indefinitely annexing Gaza were 'the plan from the beginning' as he demanded Keir Starmer 'take action' against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It emerged on Monday that Israel planned to capture the besieged territory and occupy it for an unspecified period of time.
Asked on Sky News about the development in the assault on Gaza, which has seen more than 51,000 Palestinians killed, Zomlot said: 'This was the plan from the beginning.'
He added: 'It's clear [Israel's plan] has nothing to do with hostages, actually Israel is targeting their own hostages, the plan is not targeting Hamas, the plan is targeting the Palestinian people, depopulating Gaza, reoccupying Gaza and guess what? It's happening also in the West Bank.'
(Image: EYAD BABA, AFP via Getty Images)
Zomlot called on the UK Government to put sanctions on illegal settlers in the West Bank as well as imposing a full arms embargo on Israel, after ministers gave the country's military a significant carve-out in a ban on weapon sales by allowing fighter jet components to be exported.
He said: 'We've just concluded a visit by my prime minister and there were a lot of conversations about this, about moving in a different direction, about the need of the international community, including the UK, to enforce international law rather than call for it.
'If you want to enforce this, stop calling and asking Israel to abide by international law – enforce it.
READ MORE: John Swinney speaks out as Israeli ministers plan to 'capture and hold' Gaza
'This requires sanctions on the illegal practices, including the settlements and the settlers, this requires arms embargo, this requires accountability against all war criminals and respecting the independence of the International Criminal Court and this requires the recognition of the state of Palestine. If you want Netanyahu to listen, take action.'
Zomlot, who was born in the Rafah refugee camp, said he was filled with 'dread' at the prospect of returning, saying that Gaza had been reduced to a 'post-apocalyptic' state after months of Israeli bombardment.
A statement released on Monday evening after Starmer (below) spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron said that both leaders 'expressed their deep concern at recent developments'.
(Image: PA)
And the Foreign Office has said this week that the UK 'does not support an expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza' after Tel Aviv approved plans to seize the territory.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed last week that the UK Government was in talks about recognising a Palestinian state with France.
But Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer previously batted away suggestions that the UK Government should act in tandem with France – which is planning to recognise a Palestinian state in June – saying that recognition has not 'called it into existence'.
He told MPs: 'The question of recognition is obviously one that is raised repeatedly in this house, our position remains the same.
'We do wish to recognise a Palestinian state, we wish to do so as a contribution to a two-state solution and we will make a judgment about when the best moment is to try and make the fullest possible contribution.'
The UK Government was approached for comment.
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