A Cabinet minister said it was “heartbreaking” to see tensions deepening in the Middle East after strikes killed dozens in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights over the weekend.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire as well as for the release of hostages held by Hamas. At least 30 people, including seven children, were killed by an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
Meanwhile a strike killed 12 children and young adults while they were playing football on a pitch in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights on Saturday. Israel blamed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah for the attack. Despite Hezbollah denying involvement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has conducted air strikes against seven Hezbollah targets “deep inside Lebanese territory”. The strike in Golan Heights has raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Mr Reed said: “Anyone that has seen the latest images, just like so much of what we’ve seen over recent months, it’s heartbreaking to see what’s going on. And it’s such a painful human reminder of why we need to get to a situation where the fighting can stop. The newly elected Labour Government is calling for an immediate ceasefire respected by both sides.
“That’s very important. The immediate release of the hostages that have been held since that atrocity on the seventh of October by Hamas, unimpeded aid into Gaza so we can support those people immediately but start to rebuild it, and then pressure from the whole international community to work towards a two-state solution, which is the only way that we get lasting peace to secure Israel and an independent and sovereign Palestine.”
He added: “The situation in Lebanon is worrying, and it has, of course, been going on for some time. But the key to all of this is getting that ceasefire in Gaza.”
More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes since the war began, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The IDF launched its offensive following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken.
Since early October, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed more than 500 people, mostly Hezbollah members, but also around 90 civilians. On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed.
Source: Mirror co.uk