Britain threatens to sanction Israel if no Gaza ceasefire reached

Britain’s foreign minister blasts Israel’s plans to separate Gaza civilians from Hamas, demands Israel reach a ceasefire immediately with Hamas, threatening new sanctions if no deal reached.

By World Israel News Staff

The British foreign minister warned Tuesday that London will impose new sanctions on Israel if Jerusalem fails to reach a ceasefire with the Hamas terror organization in the near future.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy fielded questions from lawmakers in the UK parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, including queries regarding Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and Britain’s efforts to push the two sides to reach a ceasefire agreement ending the war.

During the meeting, Lammy reiterated Britain’s demand that Israel end its war in Gaza and reach a truce with Hamas.

“We have to get the ceasefire,” Lammy told MPs.

Afterward, Lammy was asked whether the Keir Starmer government would take measures against Israel if the war continues.

Lammy replied: “Yes. Yes, we will.”

The foreign secretary blamed Israel’s defense minister for the impasse in ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, arguing that Israeli plans to resettle the entire population of Gaza in a new city to be built in the southern Strip have hampered talks.

“I think that would be a big sticking point for getting that ceasefire,” Lammy said, referencing plans announced by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday for the construction of a new city to house Gazan refugees.

“I suspect that if he is insistent on that position, then it would be very hard to see how we get that ceasefire because there is an acute discussion about the degree to which the IDF withdraws from Gaza.”

The Israeli defense chief said Monday evening that the IDF is planning to separate Gaza’s civilian population from terrorist groups, thus isolating Hamas and enabling the Israeli military to use overwhelming force to dismantle the remaining terrorist elements in Gaza.

Under the plan, Israel, which currently controls nearly two-thirds of Gaza, would build a new city in southern Gaza and evacuate the entire civilian population to the new community, carefully checking those entering the Israeli security zone to prevent infiltration by Hamas terrorists.

The plan would also enable Israel to create a stable mechanism for transferring humanitarian aid to Gazans without fear of Hamas elements seizing the aid or mobs overwhelming isolated aid distribution centers.