David Cameron hopes ‘they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible’
LONDON
Israel is making a decision to act against Iran, following last weekend’s retaliatory attack, the British foreign secretary said Wednesday.
Speaking in Tel Aviv, where he is paying a visit, David Cameron said he hoped “they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.”
Cameron said he was in Israel to show solidarity after that “appalling attack by Iran.”
“We made clear our views yesterday about what should happen next but we also said Israel is an independent sovereign country and gets to make these choices,” he added.
Cameron said: “It’s right to show solidarity with Israel. It’s right to have made our views clear about what should happen next. But it’s clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act.”
“We hope, continue to hope that as they do so in a way that is smart, as well as tough but is also does as little as possible to escalate this conflict,” Cameron added.
He said: “But I’m also here to focus back the eyes of the world onto the hostage situation. 192 days those people have been held, Hamas should release them now and there is a good deal for them on the table.
“The only reason the conflict continues in Gaza is because they won’t take that deal. We need the hostages out we need the aid in and I’ll be discussing that with the Israeli government and with the Palestinian Authority as well.”
Cameron said, “It’s clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act.”
“We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said yesterday, is smart as well as tough, but the real need is to refocus back on Hamas, back on the hostages, back on getting the aid in …, back on getting a pause in the conflict in Gaza.”
Cameron said he would talk to the Israeli government to talk to the Palestinian Authority to “try and push those things forward.”
He also said the UK wants to see “coordinated sanctions against Iran,” and “they need to be given a clear unequivocal message by the G7.”
