David Lammy is reportedly planning an imminent trip to Israel amid high tensions with Iran, in an attempt to help avert an escalation of war in the Middle East. The foreign secretary will meet Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Israel Katz, the foreign minister, along with Stéphane Séjourné, the French foreign minister, Sky News reported. A Foreign Office source did not confirm the report and said Lammy’s official travel arrangements would be set out in the usual way. However, the Tottenham MP issued a statement on Thursday welcoming the restart of negotiations for a ceasefire and return of hostages in Gaza. He said it was a “crucial moment for global stability” and that the “coming hours and days could define the future of the Middle East”. “As the UK made clear at the UN security council this week, the situation in Gaza is devastating,” Lammy said. “The strike on the al-Tabeen school demonstrated that Palestinians in Gaza have nowhere safe to turn. “These talks are an opportunity to secure an immediate ceasefire that protects civilians in Gaza, secures the release of hostages still cruelly held by Hamas and restores stability at a dangerous moment for the region.” He added: “The UK will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire. In the last week, I have spoken with partners from across the region on the urgent need to bring this conflict to an end and the prime minister has spoken to his US, French and German counterparts, as well as the Iranian and Egyptian presidents.
“It’s clear from these conversations that a ceasefire would not only protect civilians in Gaza, but also pave the way for wider de-escalation and bring much-needed stability for the Middle East.”
Tensions have risen in the region after Iran blamed Israel for killing Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran. Israel has not commented on whether it had a role in the death. The official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday that Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the west’s silence about “unprecedented inhumane crime” in Gaza, and Israeli attacks elsewhere in the Middle East, was “irresponsible” and encouraged Israel to put regional and global security at risk. On Thursday, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said a “grim milestone” had been marked with the news that the death toll in Gaza had passed 40,000.