London, September 10 (HS): Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Downing Street on Wednesday for talks overshadowed by intensifying international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Downing Street said Sir Keir will raise the “intolerable situation in Gaza” and press Israel on measures to end the “horrific suffering” there. The meeting comes after Israel carried out an airstrike in Doha targeting senior Hamas leaders, an attack denounced by Starmer as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty that risked further regional escalation.
Herzog is in the UK for a three-day visit aimed, according to his office, at showing solidarity with the Jewish community amid a surge in antisemitism. While the Israeli president holds a largely ceremonial role, critics argue his visit offers tacit support for his government’s actions in Gaza.
Sixty MPs and peers from across political parties, including Labour, the Greens, and the SNP, have called for the UK to bar Herzog from entering, warning of complicity in alleged genocide under a UN treaty. Health Secretary Wes Streeting went further, insisting Herzog should answer charges of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide leveled at Israel for its ongoing military campaign.
The UK government, however, maintains that it has not concluded Israel is committing genocide, stressing that such determinations lie with international courts. In a recent letter, former foreign secretary David Lammy reiterated that while London must assess the risk of genocide under UN obligations, it has not identified genocidal intent in Israel’s conduct.
The controversy heightened as Amnesty International urged Starmer not to provide “diplomatic cover for a state committing genocide,” while new Green Party leader Zack Polanski called for Herzog’s arrest during his UK visit.
On Monday, Starmer hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at No. 10, where both leaders agreed to pursue recognition of a Palestinian state and insisted Hamas would have “absolutely no role” in its future governance. They demanded an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, and expanded humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Since the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, Israel’s response has left at least 64,605 people dead in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
