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• the Foreign Secretary is in Israel with German Foreign Minister Baerbock to discuss regional tensions and the conflict in Gaza聽聽聽
• he has meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog Foreign Minister Katz to reiterate the UK鈥檚 commitment to Israel鈥檚 security聽聽
• the Foreign Secretary is in the OPTs to meet Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammad Mustafa聽

The Foreign Secretary is in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories today (17 April) for high-level talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog and Foreign Minister Katz.聽聽聽

During the visit to Israel, he will reiterate the Prime Minister鈥檚 message to Prime Minister Netanyahu that 鈥渃alm heads must prevail.鈥� He will stress UK support for Israel鈥檚 security and say that significant escalation is in no one鈥檚 interest, and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East.

The UK is calling for coordinated sanctions against Iran, who are responsible for so much of the malign activity in this region by backing Hamas, backing Hezbollah and backing the Houthi rebels.

Lord Cameron will also continue to urge an immediate pause in the fighting in Gaza to get aid in and hostages out, to allow progress towards a sustainable ceasefire.聽The UK is playing a leading role in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people and diplomatic efforts to secure the safe release of hostages, including British nationals.聽

The UK is now providing 拢3 million of additional funding for equipment to support UN and aid agencies at new and existing land crossings to get more aid into Gaza. The UK鈥檚 contribution will include trucks, forklifts, generators, fuel stores and lighting towers.聽聽聽

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:聽聽聽聽

The situation is very concerning. It鈥檚 right to show solidarity with Israel. It鈥檚 right to have made our views clear about what should happen next.

But it鈥檚 clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.鈥澛�

On the conflict in Gaza, he said:聽聽

More than 6 months have passed since Hamas鈥� brutal terror attack on innocent civilians. I鈥檓 here to focus back the eyes of the world onto the hostage situation.

192 days those people have been held Hamas should release them now and there is a good deal for them on the table. We need to see a pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out.

The Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Baerbock will urge Israel to deliver on its promises of delivering more aid into Gaza through as many routes possible by land, sea and air. The Foreign Secretary will strongly press Israel to open Ashdod Port for aid deliveries, as they promised to do, so that thousands of tonnes of aid can be delivered. The UK is also focused on ensuring more aid can enter Gaza by land, particularly through the Erez crossing and increased hours at Kerem Shalom.聽聽聽聽

Throughout this crisis, the UK and Germany have been united in their condemnation of Hamas鈥� atrocious terror attacks and support for Israel鈥檚 right to self-defence within international humanitarian law. The UK government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals and their families.聽聽聽

The Foreign Secretary is in the OPTs to meet with the newly appointed Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Dr Mohammad Mustafa, to reiterate his support for the new Palestinian Authority government and the Palestinian people. In the West Bank, record numbers of Palestinians have been killed by settlers and Israeli forces while the economy grinds to a halt due to Israeli restrictions.聽聽聽聽

The UK remains committed to providing serious, practical and enduring support to the Palestinian Authority as they take much-needed steps on reform, including setting out a pathway to democratic progress. And to working together to progress our shared objective of a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.