Downing Road later confused that ‘the UK and Israel are longstanding allies’ regardless of their variations.
Revealed On 11 Sep 2025
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised Israel’s “man-made famine” in Gaza following a controversial assembly with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in London.
“They need to cease the man-made famine from worsening additional by letting assist in and halting their offensive operations,” a Downing Road spokesperson mentioned following the assembly on Wednesday.
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Starmer “implored Israel to alter course” in Gaza, the spokesperson mentioned.
The uncommon rebuke marks one among Starmer’s strongest criticisms of Israel since taking workplace in July 2024. It additionally comes as assist teams warn that a whole lot of 1000’s of Palestinians in Gaza face catastrophic starvation after almost two years of bombardment and blockade.
Herzog’s go to to London drew widespread criticism in the UK, with 1000’s demonstrating outdoors Downing Road for a second consecutive day, in keeping with the Palestine Solidarity Marketing campaign.
Protesters additionally gathered on the London-based assume tank Chatham Home, banging pots and pans as Herzog delivered a speech.
“There’s a genocide taking place and the president of that nation is in our nation and being welcomed right here, when no one is pleased about it,” a protester instructed Al Jazeera.
“This isn’t diplomacy,” mentioned one other protester.
“You’re aiding and abetting a genocide – and this man is just not welcome in our nation.”
The assembly between Herzog and Starmer got here a day after Israel launched an air strike on Qatar, an in depth ally of america and the UK, that focused a Hamas management delegation.
The Downing Road spokesperson mentioned Starmer instructed Herzog the strike on Doha was “unacceptable” and condemned it as “a flagrant violation of a key accomplice’s sovereignty”.
Regardless of the sharp phrases, the spokesperson added that “the UK and Israel are longstanding allies”.
Talking after his assembly with Starmer, Herzog confirmed the 2 leaders had “argued out of respect”.
“Issues have been mentioned that have been robust and powerful,” Herzog mentioned, including, “Clearly, we will argue, as a result of when allies meet, they’ll argue. We’re each democracies.”
Herzog additionally mentioned that he had invited the UK to ship “a fact-finding mission” to Israel “to review the scenario in Gaza on the humanitarian stage”.
Herzog beforehand mentioned publicly that the “complete [Palestinian] nation” was answerable for the October 7 assaults on Israel, and two months later, he was witnessed personally signing artillery shells as a consequence of be fired into Gaza.
In parliament earlier on Wednesday, Scottish Nationwide Social gathering chief Stephen Flynn requested: “What does it say of this prime minister that he’ll harbour this man while youngsters starve?”
Starmer defended his determination to fulfill Herzog, rejecting calls to chop diplomatic ties. “I cannot surrender on diplomacy,” he mentioned.
“That’s the politics of scholars.”