There are no signs Hamas will “abide by calls for a ceasefire,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said of the Israel-Hamas war.
The remark came as the Israeli military entered Gaza on Friday, 20 days after Hamas terrorists started the war by launching missiles and ground attacks, killing 1,400 people, most of whom were civilians.
It also comes as tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the street on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in the third weekend of the “national march for Palestine.”
Mr. Cleverly said it’s “perfectly possible to support the Palestinian people but also to condemn Hamas” and warned protesters of “disinformation and manipulation” and “a small minority within those protests” who he said “have got negative aims.”
On Saturday, a spokesman for Tel Aviv’s military said infantry and armoured vehicles were being backed by “massive” strikes from the air and sea in a sign it could be moving closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza.
As part of the stepped-up bombardment of the 25-mile stretch, Israel also knocked out communications and created a near-blackout of information, largely cutting off the 2.3 million people in besieged Gaza from contact with the outside world.
As the Palestinian death toll mounts, with the Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry claiming more than 7,000 people have been killed, demands for a ceasefire are growing among UK politicians.
Mr. Cleverly said, “calls for a ceasefire in the abstract aren’t going to help the situation.”
“We have consistently sought to bring about pauses to facilitate the inward passage of humanitarian aid that we are providing and the release of hostages and the evacuation of British nationals in Gaza, so that has been our position from the start,” the foreign secretary told broadcasters.
“Of course, we want to see this resolved, we want to see Israel safe, peaceful, and secure,” he said.
“But, as yet, I have seen or heard nothing from Hamas that gives me any confidence that they desire or would abide by calls for a ceasefire.”
Labour Division
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he supports “specific” humanitarian “pauses” to allow the flow of aid and fleeing hostages and foreign nationals, but is not calling for a ceasefire.The government’s stance is supported by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who is facing dissent from within the party.
According to Labour Muslim Network, as of Thursday, more than 250 Muslim Labour councillors had signed a letter to Sir Keir, urging him to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Cleverly Warns of ‘Disinformation and Manipulation’
Mr. Cleverly also urged those pro-Palestinian protesters to be aware of “disinformation and manipulation” as tens and thousands of demonstrators were set to march in central London for the third Saturday since the war began.
Asked whether there’s a risk of “Iran and other foreign actors hijacking protests in the UK,” the foreign secretary said, “I think many people will recognise that there has often been attempts to subvert the actions of other people.”
Mr. Cleverly said it’s “perfectly possible to support the Palestinian people, but also to condemn Hamas.
“But sadly, we do see people being manipulated, subjected to disinformation, distortion and, and sadly, I do think that a minority, small minority within those protests have got very much more negative aims,” he said.
“I would say to everyone involved in the process, be conscious of this, be conscious about disinformation and manipulation.”
