Only with diplomacy will there be long peace

For months, the Middle East has been on the brink of widespread conflict. None of us are able to know how close we are to the abyss of a war. But all of us recognize that we are at a critical moment in the stability of the entire region and that the risk of finding the situation out of control is increasing sharply.

The new British government is making every effort to deescalate. The first week after I took office, I was in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ramala for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and residents. Along with British Secretary of Defense John Healey we visited Qatar and Lebanon. Our message to our counterparts in the region is simple: the enlargement of the conflict is not in the interests of anyone, the civilians of all sides themselves. Britain firmly supports a diplomatic solution so that we can jointly ease today’s tensions. This week, there has been another attempt at such a diplomatic solution, starting with a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages. This is a crucial agreement. Britain and our European partners welcome the efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the United States: there is no time to lose. The hostilities must stop now. All the hostages Hamas holds brutally must be released now. Now the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza must begin, without restrictions. All sides must seize the opportunity to pave the way for a lasting solution. This requires restraint. Iran and those groups aligned with Iran must refrain from attacks that would jeopardise such a prospect. We can’t risk further delay. Of course, ceasefire is the first step in the path to a long peace. The United Kingdom will play a diplomatic role in taking the opportunity towards a two-state solution, and creating security and dignity conditions for both Israelis and Palestinians. At the same time, we must support Lebanon as a sovereign state with strong state institutions. The armed forces and Lebanese security forces have an important role to play in the future of the country, so we will continue to support them by providing training and equipment. Investing in such institutions, the stability of the country is preserved and the threat of terrorism in Lebanon and the wider region is limited.

At the same time, we call on Israel and Lebanon to participate in dialogue with the US initiative and to resolve their differences in diplomacy. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 remains the basis for a long-term solution. It provides for the disarmament of all non-state armed groups within Lebanon, the presence of foreign forces within its borders only with the permission of the Lebanese government and the conduct of operations in the region from the Israeli-Lebanon border to the Litani River only from the Lebanese and United Nations Armed Forces.

As diplomatic efforts intensify, the United Kingdom continues to provide significant humanitarian aid. The new government restored British funding to UNRWA, whose help is salvation and critical to the Palestinians of Gaza and the wider region. We have also announced new funding to the non-governmental organisation UK – Med for the construction and operation of mobile hospital units in Gaza, and UNICEF for the provision of food, water and basic services to vulnerable Palestinian families.

And I will continue to speak openly about the actions that make a diplomatic solution harder. The civilian deaths in Majal Sams were appalling. Both Hezbollah and Hamas must stop the missile attacks that they only manage to reduce the possibility of a truce. At the same time, Israel must comply with international humanitarian law – human losses at Al Tabin school were also a tragedy. The Israeli government should withdraw and condemn the recent statements by Minister Smotric – under international law the provocation of a deliberate civilian famine is a war crime. The prayer of a minister of the Israeli government in Temenian Square was equally incendiary – we are opposed to any unilateral action in Jerusalem in the absence of a definitive settlement of its status. In such circumstances of severe tension, our only compass is diplomacy. Only by diplomatic means will we stop the destructive cycle of violence and revenge. Only diplomacy will bring long peace and security for all. Davin Lamy, British Foreign Minister