Time for Gaza Cease-Fire Is Now, Says Lammy

Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrives at Downing Street in London, England, on Aug. 6, 2024. James Manning/PA Wire

The time for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is now, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said on visit to Israel with his French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné.

Lammy and Séjourné met with Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz and the country’s minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, on Friday, as well as visiting the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The British foreign secretary said during a press conference, “This is a war and a crisis that has taken so many lives across the region that, of course, begun with the most horrific of events on October the seventh.”

“But as we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal, for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop, is now,” Lammy continued.

“That is the message that we have jointly underlined to ministers today, both in Israel and, of course, in the occupied territories,” the minister added.

Negotiations between the United States, Qatar, and Egypt and an Israeli delegation in Qatar are also ongoing, with Lammy saying that he was pleased to hear reports suggesting the first day of hostage talks had gone well.

Israel’s war with Hamas followed the terror group’s attack on the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 Israelis were massacred and 251 people were taken hostage. The war is ongoing and there are concerns as the instability spreads to other parts of the region.

‘Dangerous Moment’

On Thursday, the foreign secretary described the current situation as “a dangerous moment for the Middle East” where the risk of the situation “spiralling out of control is rising.”

“We are at a crucial moment for global stability. The coming hours and days could define the future of the Middle East. That is why today, and every day, we are urging for our partners across the region to choose peace,” he said.

The minster had said the UK and France were committed in their efforts to secure peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and the wider region.

“This is a vital opportunity to secure the release of hostages and an immediate surge in aid into Gaza,” he said.

Séjourné joined his British counterpart in calling for a cease-fire and the release of hostages, saying earlier: “It’s never too late for peace. We must at all costs avoid a regional war, which would have terrible consequences.”

Over the past few weeks, Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists based in Lebanon have traded rocket fire with Israel.

Tensions also grew in the region after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a blast while visiting Iran on July 31. While no party has claimed responsibility for killing Haniyeh, Iranian and Hamas officials have blamed Israel and the United States.

Lammy had said that any Iranian attack “would have devastating consequences for the region.”

Calls for De-Escalation

The visit comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a joint statement on Monday calling for “de-escalation and regional stability” in the Middle East.

U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators are attempting to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas, which would see the terror group release hostages in exchange for a cease-fire, the withdrawal of the Israeli military from the Gaza Strip, and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry has said more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war. This figure is accepted by UN agencies, but is contested by the Israeli government, which says the health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and the numbers do not match the information held by the Israel Defense Forces.

PA Media and Guy Birchall contributed to this report.