UK decries Gaza crisis as 'Indefensible,' urges emergency E3 talks

 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer outside 10 Downing Street in London on July 5, 2024. [Henry Nicholls, AFP]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza, describing the deepening crisis as "unspeakable and indefensible,".

Through a press statement, Starmer also announced plans for an emergency call with European allies to chart a path toward an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian relief.

According to Starmer, the situation in Gaza had "reached new depths and continues to worsen," warning of a growing humanitarian catastrophe.

He revealed that he would convene a high-level emergency call on Friday with leaders of the E3, an informal security and foreign policy coalition comprising the UK, France, and Germany.

“We will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need, while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace,” he said.

Starmer emphasized that all E3 partners agree on the urgent need for Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"The aid that is desperately needed must enter without delay," he stressed.

The Prime Minister also called for renewed international diplomacy to de-escalate the crisis. “It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times," he said. 

Starmer expressed strong support for the ongoing mediation efforts led by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, and reiterated the UK government's commitment to Palestinian statehood as central to any durable resolution to the conflict.