Britain renews call for Gaza ceasefire

Published on Wednesday 31 December 2008 12:35

BRITAIN is putting 10 million dollars towards emergency humanitarian aid in the crisis-stricken Gaza Strip, it was announced today.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said the money would help provide urgently-needed food and fuel to the Palestinian territory, shattered by four days of Israeli air strikes.

The assistance comes amid continued international pressure, supported by the UK, for a ceasefire in Gaza, where hundreds of people have been killed.

The Israeli security cabinet is due to meet today to discuss their next moves.

There are reports that it will consider appeals for a truce, at least temporarily to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid.

But Israeli ministers also say they are determined to put an end to rocket attacks from militants in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Mr Alexander said today: "Aid is desperately needed in Gaza. The human cost of this conflict is unacceptable and the humanitarian situation is getting worse by the hour.

"Thousands are suffering. Medical items are in short supply. Fuel shortages have led to power cuts which in turn are affecting hospitals and other essential services. And UN stocks of food are very low.

"The limited aid that is getting through cannot be distributed properly because of bombing from the air and rocket attacks launched from inside Gaza.

"The fighting must stop to enable humanitarian agencies to help people in desperate need.

"The Government remains gravely concerned by the conflict and we renew our appeal to all parties to end the violence immediately."

Israel is said to be considering a 48-hour halt to its air campaign against Hamas targets in Gaza in the hope that Palestinian militants will stop their rocket attacks.

Any offer would apparently be coupled with a threat to send in ground troops if the rocket fire continues, with preparations for such a move continuing.

Since Saturday, 374 Palestinians have been killed. Despite international condemnation, the US has, crucially, stopped short of demanding an Israeli ceasefire.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband joined his 26 European Union counterparts in Paris for urgent talks on the crisis last night.

US President George Bush and his Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, have been calling leaders in the Middle East to press for a durable solution beyond any immediate truce.

Members of the Quartet of world powers trying to promote Middle East peace concluded a conference call – in which the Quartet's envoy Tony Blair took part – with an appeal for an immediate cease-fire.

Mr Miliband insisted last night any ceasefire had to ensure Israel's security and reinforce the position of elected Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Speaking before the talks in Paris last night, Mr Miliband said the EU had an "important role" to play in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.

"The humanitarian crisis is something that needs to be addressed, but there needs to be a ceasefire to underpin it," he said.

Mr Alexander said today that humanitarian access to Gaza was now essential, with "literally thousands suffering" and the situation getting worse all the time.

"The need for food, for fuel, for medical supplies... is real, but aid alone is not enough," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"In addition to aid we need access."

The International Development Secretary went on that the current difficulties stemmed from a lack of progress on Middle East peace talks over many years.

"This is a man-made catastrophe and in some ways I think we are all, and in particularly people in Gaza and in Israel, are paying a heavy price for the faltering pace of negotiations, not just over the last year but over many years now in terms of a comprehensive solution in the Middle East," he said.

Mr Alexander added that the peace process would have to be stepped up if a long-term solution to the conflict was to be achieved.

"There does need to be an immediate and permanent ceasefire," he said.

"Secondly, there needs to be immediate humanitarian access, which is why we have made this announcement.

"But I don't for a moment resile from the fact that ultimately what we need is a stepping up of the peace process because it is only through politics that we will ultimately see the resolution that we all want to see."

He also insisted that the US was "engaged" on the issue, despite concern from some quarters that the Americans have not demanded an Israeli ceasefire.

Challenged that not a lot had been heard from the US, he said: "No, and I think you have to be respectful of the fact that not all diplomacy is undertaken on public platforms."

The Liberal Democrats said today that the EU was failing to exert enough pressure on Israel and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire.

Their foreign affairs spokesman, Edward Davey, insisted the completion of a new EU-Israel cooperation agreement should be suspended.

"EU calls for a ceasefire in Gaza will have to be backed up with real pressure on both Israel and Hamas if they are going to have any effect," he said.

"The EU is simply failing to use all the diplomatic options at its disposal.

"It's time EU leaders made it clear that Israel cannot expect the draft cooperation agreement with the EU to be signed, and that Hamas cannot expect any recognition unless and until a permanent ceasefire is in place.

"The EU must immediately suspend its new cooperation agreement with Israel. The deal cannot proceed until there is a transformation of the conditions on the ground in Gaza.

"The EU needs to act much faster to ratchet up the diplomatic pressure, as Israel's attack on Gaza is in danger of echoing the mistakes of the 2006 Lebanon War."