During his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories as Foreign Minister, David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“I am here to push for a ceasefire,” he said. “The loss of life in the last few months… is terrible. It has to stop.”
Mr Lammy also urged that all hostages in Gaza be released and more aid be sent to the area.
The newly elected minister held talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa on Sunday.
He will later meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as the families of some of the hostages with ties to the UK.
“It is important that, as long as we are at war, that war is conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law,” Lammy said.
“Of course, I will engage with Israeli leaders on this issue in the coming days.”
The Foreign Secretary also expressed frustration that no British aid trucks were entering Gaza after months of queries, echoing long-standing complaints from aid agencies about deliveries being blocked or delayed by complicated inspections by the Israeli military.
He said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was “appalling” and that the UK would donate a further £5.5 million to medical charity UK-Med to fund the organisation’s work in the area.
The Labour Party has recently faced backlash from some Muslim voters over its response to the conflict, with many arguing that the party has not been critical enough of Israel.
The new government must now make decisions on several key issues, including whether to limit or halt arms sales to Israel because of the loss of civilian lives.
When asked about the sale, Mr Lammy said he would “look at the valuation and the legal considerations”.
“That process has begun and I hope to report to Parliament as soon as possible,” he added.
He also said he would make a statement in the coming days on the future of British funding for UNRWA, the main UN agency providing aid in Gaza.
The United Kingdom was one of more than a dozen countries that the agency’s funding has been suspended in January, after allegations emerged that multiple staff members were involved in the October 7 attack. It is one of the few buildings that has not yet been restored.
Labour has also pledged to recognise Palestinian statehood, but has not yet said when this will happen.
Israel launched its operation in Gaza after the Hamas attack last October, which killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.
Mr Netanyahu has said that Israel will continue the war until all hostages are released and Hamas is destroyed.
At least 38,584 people have been killed in Gaza during the Israeli offensive, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. A UN-backed assessment found last month There was a “high risk” of famine in the area, with nearly half a million people facing “catastrophic levels” of hunger.
The ministry also said at least 141 people died in Israeli strikes since Saturday. Israel said one of those strikes, which hit a humanitarian zone, targeted a senior Hamas leader.
