Britain’s deputy PM defends Israel but calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza

Britain's deputy prime minister on Tuesday defended Israel's right to protect itself amid growing tension between the Middle Eastern country and its biggest backers, but called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza on humanitarian grounds.

Oliver Dowden said the British government was "continuously" urging Israel to abide by international humanitarian law and had also raised concerns about getting aid into Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis is raging after six months of fighting.

"That's why we are calling for an immediate ceasefire to allow that aid in and, crucially, for the hostages to come out," he told Reuters in an interview in Seoul, where he was attending a US-backed Summit for Democracy.

Dowden's comments came in response to a query about tension between Israel and its most steadfast allies in the US over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war, particularly an expected military push into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny crowded enclave.

The UN human rights chief on Tuesday said Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza may amount to a starvation tactic that could be a war crime after a UN-backed report found famine is likely by May without an end to the fighting.

US President Joe Biden warned Netanyahu on Monday that an Israeli operation in Rafah would deepen anarchy in Gaza, and they agreed teams from each side would meet in Washington to discuss it.

In a speech on Thursday, US Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, called for new elections in Israel, saying Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace.

Netanyahu responded harshly on Sunday, telling CNN in an interview that Schumer's speech was "totally inappropriate".

Dowden stressed his support for Israel, saying there is a risk the world is forgetting the horrors of October 7 last year, when Hamas launched attacks that Israel said killed about 1,200 people.

"I continue to support Israel's right to defend itself, not only for the sake of Israel but also I think around the world we should be standing up to this kind of barbarism," he said.

"But what I'll also say to Israel is they need to show restraint and proportionality in the way they prosecute the legitimate war against Hamas."

Reuters