Kemi Badenoch Says She Believes Israel Is Allowing Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza
The Tory leader's remarks come amid growing concerns that people in the Palestinian territory are facing mass starvation due Israel's blockade of relief.
More than 100 non-governmental organisations issued a statement this week saying the 'Israeli government's siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families'.
Israel did announce over the weekend that it would allow airdrops of relief into the Palestinian territory, and promised it would implement a 'tactical pause' in its military operation in three parts of Gaza to help ease the humanitarian crisis.
But speaking to Sky News this morning, the Tory leader suggested her support for Israel had not wavered despite the international community's fears.
Presenter Trevor Phillips asked for Badenoch's reaction to Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof's claim that Israel has been 'lying' about the food crisis in Gaza.
She said: 'I disagree with that. What I am seeing is Israel allowing humanitarian aid to go in. This has been an unbelievably difficult situation, it's been heartbreaking seeing some of those pictures, hearing some of those stories.
'What we allow want to see is this awful war coming to an end. And that will happen when those hostages are released and we get a ceasefire.'
Phillips asked: 'Have those pictures at all led your pretty much unwavering support for Israel to waver?'
'No, no. War is a difficult situation,' she replied. 'What I see when I see Israel is a country that is trying to defend itself, mostly from Iran and a lot of its proxies – Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis. I think they're in a very difficult situation.
'And what worries me is the length of time this war has been going on makes it very difficult for the people in Palestinian territories and also for Israel, we need to bring things to an end.'
Phillips pointed out that polling suggests Brits are moving away from supporting Israel, to which the Tory leader said she is 'somebody who believes in looking at what's actually happening'.
'The right thing is for there to a ceasefire. A lot of people are suffering on both sides, but we must'n't forget how this started,' she claimed.
'On October 7, a massacre occurred. It was an act of war. There are still people who are being held hostage and they need to be brought home.
'All of this could be brought to an end, except that those territories are being run by a terrorist organisation. We cannot allow it to go on.'
Asked if there was anything Israel is doing which she would not support, the leader of the opposition said that Israel has a 'responsibility to make sure aid gets through.'
But she noted: 'I also know that allowing a terrorist organisation to win is not going to be safe, not just for Israel, but for the rest of the world.
'This is how they get incubated. And then 10, 15, 20 years' time, the rest of us suffer for it. We need to bring this sort of terrorism to an end.'
Existing tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians soared when Palestinian militants Hamas killed 1,200 people on Israeli soil and took a further 251 people hostage.
Israel declared war and imposed a blockade on Gaza while also launching missile strikes across the territory.
According to the local Hamas-run health ministry, more than 61,000 people have died in Gaza since the conflict began.
Labour minister James Murray also told Sky News that the UK would recognise a Palestine state, describing it as a case of 'when not if'. However, he refused to put a clear timeline on it.
It comes after French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed he would formally announce Palestine statehood in September.
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Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the former assistant secretary for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education under two administrations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
