Keir Starmer offers weak statement on Israel's ethnic cleansing plan
On Monday, Israeli cabinet ministers approved the plan hours after the country's military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
The move would vastly expand Israel's operations in the Palestinian territory and has been fiercely condemned by international opposition, including Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, stressing there must be 'no illegal occupation of Gaza'.
However, the UK Government released a short statement after Starmer spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday evening, which read: 'Discussing the situation in Gaza, both expressed their deep concern at recent developments and agreed a renewed peace process was required.'
READ MORE: Welsh Labour leader to criticise Keir Starmer welfare cuts in major speech
Earlier on Monday, the Foreign Office also said that the UK 'does not support an expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza' after the Tel Aviv government approved plans to seize the territory.
The UK Government's lack of condemnation of the Israeli Government's plans to seize Gaza has been condemned by the SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, who has called for Starmer to recognise the state of Palestine in response to the plan.
He said: 'The real question now is just how much more suffering the people of Gaza have to bear before the UK Government and the international community finally act.
'One of the first responses the UK Government can and should now take is to finally recognise the state of Palestine – including the entirety of the Gaza strip – in an effort to prevent this illegal Israeli land grab. That should be swiftly followed by stopping arms sales.'
Director of the Centre for UN Studies, Mark Seddon, has also called for the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, to 'finally act'.
He wrote online: 'All of this is in complete contempt & contravention of international law. Starmer & Lammy are former international lawyers.
'They know this to be the case. They have to, finally, act.'
Meanwhile, the campaign group Stop the War said: 'It's not a new offensive, it's yet more war crime.
'When will Keir Starmer and David Lammy call it out as such?'
(Image: Michael Boyd/ PA Wire)
Swinney also called out Israel's use of weaponising hunger in Gaza as he called for the more than 60-day blockade of aid to be lifted.
He said on Twitter/X: 'There must be no illegal occupation of Gaza. These reports would lead to more deaths across the region.
'The people of Gaza are being starved of food, water, and humanitarian aid. The world needs to enable lasting peace with a sovereign Palestine in a two-state solution.'
Israel's plan would also push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza, which would likely exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Since Israel breached the ceasefire agreement in mid-March, it has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly 50% of Gaza.
Israel had already halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food, fuel, and water, setting off what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of Israeli attack.
The Israeli officials said the new plan included the 'capturing of the strip and the holding of territories'.
The plan would also seek to prevent the militant Hamas group from distributing humanitarian aid, which Israel says strengthens the group's rule in Gaza.
The officials said Israel was in touch with several countries about President Donald Trump's plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population, under what Israel has termed 'voluntary emigration', yet which has sparked condemnations from Israel's allies in Europe and the Arab world.
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