British and German foreign ministers jointly called for “a sustainable cease-fire” in the Gaza Strip.
FM David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said that “too many civilians have been killed” during the Israeli Defence Forces’ assault on Gaza and an early cessation of hostilities and a sustainable peace is needed.
“It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations,” Cameron and Baerbock wrote. “We therefore support a cease-fire, but only if it is sustainable.”
In their letter, Baerbock and Cameron emphasised the dire humanitarian situation of the people and warned that “Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful coexistence with Palestinians.”
Foreign ministers also condemned the hateful acts of “extremist” settlers in the West Bank, as Jewish settlers in the West Bank enjoy an unprecedented level of support from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Between 7 October and 4 December, 236 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by Israeli forces, another eight were killed by Israeli settlers and two others were killed by one or other of the settlers, according to the UN.
Israel launched a crushing counter-offensive after the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on 7 October. The US had been pressuring Israel not to stop the war and also was the only country to vote against the ceasefire, Britain abstained at the time.
