British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has strongly criticised the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, warning that the UK may take further measures against Israel if a ceasefire agreement is not reached to end the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
During an appearance before parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Lammy also voiced opposition to the newly established aid distribution initiative in Gaza—backed by the United States and Israel—known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), reports Al Jazeera.
“We’ve been very clear that we don’t support the aid foundation that has been set up,” Lammy said.
He added: “It’s not doing a good job. Too many people are close to starvation. Too many people have lost their lives. We have led globally on our condemnation the system that has been set up.”
Over recent weeks, hundreds of Palestinians have been shot by Israeli forces while attempting to access aid through the GHF.
When questioned by a lawmaker on whether the UK government is prepared to take action against Israel should the “intolerable” conditions in Gaza persist, Lammy responded: “Yes, we will.”
In recent months, the UK has joined Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in sanctioning Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich over their incitement of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Earlier, the UK suspended negotiations for a free trade agreement with Israel in protest of the blockade on Gaza, which has contributed to a dire hunger crisis.
Additionally, last year, the UK halted certain arms exports to Israel.
While these moves have been welcomed, some advocates for Palestinian rights argue they are largely symbolic and fall short of holding Israel meaningfully accountable for alleged breaches of international humanitarian law.
Lammy also condemned Israeli settler violence and the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, asserting that these activities are flouting international law.
When asked whether UK pressure has influenced Israeli government policy, Lammy admitted that the impact has not been sufficient.
Nonetheless, he defended the UK’s actions, highlighting recent steps taken against Israel and continued support for UNRWA, the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees.
“I am very, very comfortable that you would be hard pressed to find another G7 partner or another ally across Europe that’s doing more than this government has done,” he said.
Lammy acknowledged the UK’s limited influence in the region, describing the country as “but one actor”.
Despite being a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a key trade partner of Israel, the UK has also played a military role—reportedly conducting surveillance flights over Gaza to aid in locating Israeli hostages.
Domestically, the UK has clamped down on Palestinian advocacy, recently banning the activist group Palestine Action and arresting numerous supporters.
Although several European nations have recognised Palestinian statehood in the past year, the UK’s Labour-led government has yet to do so.
Lammy explained that the UK intends to make such recognition part of a broader effort to advance a two-state solution, rather than offering a merely “symbolic gesture.”
He stressed that the UK seeks to recognise Palestine at a moment that could help push back against “expansion, against violence, against the horrors that we’re seeing in Gaza, and towards the just cause that is the desire for Palestinian statehood.”
However, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Emily Thornberry cautioned that further delay could be detrimental.
With ongoing settlement expansion and looming annexation, she warned, “there won’t be anything left to recognise.”
“We should recognise a Palestinian state and then work towards ensuring that one happens practically,” Thornberry said, adding: “But if we continue to hold back, it’ll slide through our fingers.”