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U.K. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy on Thursday condemned the war in Gaza as “indefensible, inhumane and utterly unjustified,” calling for an immediate cease-fire, the release of hostages and unhindered humanitarian access.
Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Lammy said both Palestinians and Israelis “deserve better” than the horrors of war, stressing that Hamas and Israel’s actions have inflicted immense suffering.
“The people of Palestine, whose state we proudly recognize this week, and the people of Israel deserve better,” he said. “Better than the horrific acts by Hamas on October the second that left children without their parents and parents without their children. Better than Israel’s denial of life-saving humanitarian aid and the catastrophic famine it has caused.”
Lammy denounced Hamas as “a vile, pitiless terrorist organization that must have no future in Gaza,” while holding Israel responsible for escalating military operations that have repeatedly displaced Palestinian families.
“There can be no answer to these horrors but concerted diplomatic action to keep the hope of peace alive,” Lammy told delegates, commending efforts by the U.S., Arab and Muslim states to build a durable peace plan.
“Annexation must be prevented, a process of peace advanced, and this terrible, terrible war ended,” he added. “There can be no answer except for the hostages out now, aid in now, and a cease-fire now.”
He vowed Britain “will not rest until this day has come and there are two states living side by side in peace and security.”
The war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—according to local authorities. The bombardment has devastated the enclave, leaving it uninhabitable and driving famine and disease.
In the West Bank, at least 1,044 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,000 injured by Israeli forces and settlers since October 2023, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
In a landmark opinion in July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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