'The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine,' says Sadiq Khan
The mayor of London on Wednesday expressed concern over "absolutely harrowing scenes of suffering" in Gaza, calling on the international community as well as the British government to act to stop Israel's "horrific, senseless killing."
In a statement, Sadiq Khan said that the "absolutely harrowing scenes of suffering" in Gaza are being made worse by the day, with no sign of the crisis abating.
Mentioning the Israeli killing of Palestinian civilians while seeking aid, the mayor said that in heartbreaking scenes, innocent lives are being torn apart before the eyes of the world.
"The international community - including our own government - must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific, senseless killing and let vital life-saving aid in," Khan added.
He stressed that nothing justifies the actions of the Israeli government.
"The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine," added the mayor.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that 10 more Gazans starved to death in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll from starvation since October 2023 to 111.
In March, Israel abandoned a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas and has since kept Gaza’s border crossings shut, leaving humanitarian aid trucks stranded along the frontier.
Israeli forces have killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
