Responding to David Cameron saying that the delivery of UK aid into Gaza has been delayed by the Israeli authorities for several weeks, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

“David Cameron is right to call out the Israeli authorities for disgracefully blocking the delivery of life-saving aid into Gaza.

“In general, the UK needs to push Israel far harder over its continual blocking of aid for Gaza, but more importantly Lord Cameron should be urging Israel to lift its illegal 17-year-long blockade of Gaza, which is a clear act of collective punishment.

“While UK aid shipments to Gaza are welcome and will help alleviate at least some of the terrible suffering we’re seeing, extremely patchy aid deliveries are no substitute for a massively scaled-up relief effort which will only come with an immediate ceasefire - which the UK needs to support.

“Today’s move from Lord Cameron should signal a major shift in the UK’s position over this deepening crisis, with the UK halting arms transfers to Israel and lending its full support to ongoing justice and accountability procedures, including at the International Criminal Court.

“The clock is ticking, and the UK risks ever-deeper complicity with possible acts of Israeli genocide and its decades-long system of apartheid against the Palestinian people.”