Top Israeli official meets with Britain’s foreign secretary amid concerns over Gaza humanitarian situation
A top member of Israel’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, is set to meet with Britain’s foreign secretary in London on Wednesday to discuss the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a pause in fighting. This comes after Gantz held high-level meetings in Washington with top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
Gantz, a former army chief and political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been working to seek a six-week ceasefire in Gaza. However, there are growing concerns from Israel’s allies about the suffering in the territory and the lack of humanitarian aid reaching those in need.
Before his meeting with Gantz, Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, expressed strong words for Israel, emphasizing the need for increased aid to Gaza to address the “dreadful suffering” in the region. Cameron stated that Israel, as the occupying power, has a responsibility to do more to help the people of Gaza.
The meetings in Washington have caused tensions within Israel’s leadership, with Netanyahu and his right-wing allies feeling unsettled by Gantz’s discussions with U.S. officials. Despite belonging to different political parties, Gantz joined Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet after recent attacks in Israel.
During his meetings in Washington, Gantz was urged to support the delivery of more humanitarian aid to Gaza and to work towards a ceasefire agreement. The U.S. emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and opening additional border crossings to facilitate the flow of supplies into Gaza.
While some within Israel criticized Gantz’s independent meetings with U.S. officials, the White House defended the discussions as a necessary step in supporting Israel and addressing the ongoing crisis in Gaza. As the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, international pressure is mounting on Israel to take action to alleviate the suffering of the people in the region.
