LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel Thursday morning for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of a two-day visit to the war-torn Middle East.
Speaking ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, Sunak told Israeli reporters “Above all, I’m here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people.
“You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.”
Sunak is set to visit other regional capitals after his visit to Israel, although Downing Street is not confirming a specific itinerary, citing security reasons.
Sunak is expected to call for the route into Gaza to be opened up as soon as possible to allow humanitarian aid into the region and for trapped British nationals to leave.
U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is conducting his own diplomatic push to stop the conflict spreading across the region during a three-day visit to the Middle East. He is due to meet leaders in Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, the Foreign Office said.
The visits come in the wake of a devastating blast at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday in which hundreds are feared to have died, and amid conflicting accusations about who was responsible for the attack.
In a statement, released by Downing Street ahead of the trip, Sunak said: “The attack on Al-Ahli Hospital should be a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict,” he added, promising the U.K. would be “at the forefront of this effort.”
