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NEW YORK: The UK sharply criticized Israel’s humanitarian conduct in Gaza during a high-level UN Security Council debate on the Middle East peace process on Wednesday, describing the Israeli aid system as “inhumane, ineffective, dangerous and fueling instability.”

Speaking at the council’s open debate, UK Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, saying that the suffering of Palestinian civilians and the continued holding of hostages by Hamas since Oct. 7 “must end now.”

She said: “The IDF is shooting at desperate Palestinian civilians on an almost daily basis. Hamas is exploiting this disorder.”

She called on Israel to stop such attacks, hold perpetrators accountable and work with the UN to implement a more effective aid delivery system that complies with international humanitarian law. Woodward reaffirmed the UK’s support for the UN’s humanitarian coordination office and condemned recent strikes on the World Health Organization in Deir Al-Balah.

The ambassador also condemned Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s proposals to forcibly displace Palestinians to Rafah and criticized the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, calling it a “flagrant breach of international law” and “an accelerating campaign to prevent a Palestinian state.”

While insisting Hamas must not govern Gaza or threaten Israel’s security in the future, Woodward warned that actions by the Israeli government were undermining the only viable alternative — the Palestinian Authority. She pointed to Israel’s withholding of $2.6 billion in tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority, which she said is crippling essential services and weakening Palestinian institutions.

“This is not conducive to Israel’s long-term security,” she added.

Woodward reiterated the UK’s commitment to a two-state solution and warned that London is prepared to take “further action” to stop what it sees as the erosion of prospects for peace.

She noted that a high-level conference co-chaired by France and ����ֱ�� next week will be a key opportunity to advance international support for a peaceful resolution.

LONDON: The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged the UK government to recognize a Palestinian state as pressure mounts from the ruling Labour Party on Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a UN conference addressing the Palestinian question.

Khan said on Wednesday that the UK government should “immediately recognize Palestinian statehood” and asserted that there “can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.”

Senior Labour figures, including Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood, and Hilary Benn, have called on the UK government to bring forward its recognition of Palestine. The UK has consistently stated it would recognize Palestine in conjunction with allies “at the point of maximum impact.”

A rescheduled international conference will be held in New York from July 28-29, sponsored by ����ֱ�� and France, to gather support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The organizers postponed the gathering planned for June due to the sudden conflict between Israel and Iran that occurred in the same month.

Khan’s statement comes against the backdrop of starvation impacting the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli attacks and aid restrictions. Khan said that “the absolutely harrowing scenes of suffering in Gaza are being made worse by the day, with no sign of the crisis abating.”

He added: “Starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble; family members shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid. In heartbreaking scenes, innocent lives are being torn apart before the eyes of the world.

“The international community — including our own government – must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific, senseless killing and let vital lifesaving aid in. Nothing justifies the actions of the Israeli government.

“The UK must immediately recognize Palestinian statehood. There can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.”

Khan’s remarks echoed a rare intervention on foreign policy by Streeting, the health minister, during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.

Streeting said: “I sincerely hope that the international community can come together, as the foreign secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end of this war, but also that we recognize the state of Palestine while there is a state of Palestine left to recognize.”