The Rafah border crossing should reopen “imminently” to allow aid into Gaza, Rishi Sunak has confirmed after meeting the Qatari and Egyptian leaders in crisis talks.
The Prime Minister said that getting aid trucks into Gaza was the “immediate priority” after meeting Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Egypt.
And earlier he stated he had agreed with the Amir of Qatar, who he met in Saudi Arabia, that world leaders must do “everything possible to prevent” the violence in Israel and Gaza from spilling over into a wider Middle East conflict.
Mr Sunak said: “When this crisis unfolded, one thing we have prioritised consistently is getting the Rafah crossing opening.
Meeting with President Abbas today I expressed my condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza, including at the Al Ahli hospital.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 20, 2023
We know Hamas doesn't speak for the Palestinian people.
The UK supports the Palestinian Authority in trying to establish stability. pic.twitter.com/8ISeSaUV1m
“It’s been a feature of all my conversations, and I’m very pleased that that will now imminently happen.”
He told reporters: “This is a region in mourning so first and foremost, I wanted to express my condolences to all those affected we’ve also made good progress on tangible areas like ensuring access for humanitarian aid to those who need it.
“But most importantly, in a situation like this, it’s important to intensify dialogue, because we all have a shared interest in peace and stability in this region.”
He added: “When I met with President El-Sisi earlier today, he and I had a good discussion about how the UK can provide practical assistance on the ground to ensure the sustainability of that aid through the crossing to the people who need it.
“The immediate priority right now though, is to get humanitarian aid to the people who need it in Gaza.
“That’s why we’ve increased our funding and are providing practical support on the ground in cooperation with others to do that and longer term, we all share a vision of a future where Palestinian people can live with dignity with freedom and security and we need to work hard to make that happen.”
This comes after Israel’s troops were told to prepare for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which remains under heavy bombardment as Tel Aviv fights back against Hamas’s incursion on October 7 that killed 1,400 people.
Israel has stated it does not intend to reoccupy the territory if it does topple Hamas in Gaza.
Speaking to legislators, Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant laid out a three-stage plan starting with air strikes, followed by a ground attack to root out Hamas followed by the “removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip”.
Qatar is seen as a key mediator in the battle, with Doha using its ties to the Palestinian militant group to negotiate for the release of about 200 hostages taken during the deadly assault on Israel.
Mr Sunak has held meetings with Israeli leaders and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia since starting his lobbying tour of the Middle East on Thursday.
During discussions with Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Riyadh, No 10 said the pair “underlined the imperative of avoiding any escalation in the violence across the region”, agreeing that “leaders had a responsibility to do everything possible to prevent it”.
A spokesman said Mr Sunak thanked Qatar for their efforts to secure the release of hostages, including at least two British nationals who are known to be among those being held captive.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister would hold further meetings with counterparts from the region in Egypt where a number of influential Middle East leaders have gathered.
The dangers of the Hamas conflict spilling over were illustrated as the United States said one of its warships had intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched from Yemen “potentially towards targets in Israel”.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel.
Attacks against Israel have also been launched from Lebanon, where the Hezbollah group is backed by Iran, drawing retaliation from Tel Aviv.
In the first leg of his trip on Thursday, the Prime Minister had meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog.
Mr Netanyahu said he hoped for the UK’s “continuous support” in his country’s “long war” as it hunts Hamas fighters.
Mr Sunak, speaking at a joint press conference after discussions with his counterpart lasting about two hours, said he was “proud” to stand with Israel in its “darkest hour”.
He said the UK Government “wants you to win” against a force he described as representing “pure evil”.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has also been in the region, visiting Egypt, Qatar and Turkey with a mission to “secure the release of British hostages, stop the violence spreading to the region (and) ensure emergency aid can get into Gaza”.
In London, a 31-year-old man has been bailed by the Metropolitan Police after being arrested on suspicion of supporting Hamas at a demonstration in Whitehall earlier this week by displaying a banner supportive of a proscribed organisation.
A force spokesman said: “As part of the investigation, being led by the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Command, officers conducted searches at addresses in east London and in County Durham.”
Nine British nationals are confirmed to have been killed in the Hamas raids on October 7 and a further seven are missing, with some “feared to be among the dead or kidnapped”, Downing Street said.
The Gaza Health Ministry has said 4,137 people have been killed in the territory while Israel says more than 1,400 people in the country have been killed with 203 people being taken hostage into Gaza.
