British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said that the UK is prepared to impose additional sanctions on Israel if a ceasefire in besieged Gaza is not secured within weeks.
Lammy told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that the government would "go further" in taking action against Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
"If we do not get the ceasefire we're all praying for in the coming weeks … will the government go further to take measures against Israel?" Labour MP Alex Ballinger asked.
"Yes, we will," Lammy responded.
Lammy's remarks follow a coordinated sanctions move last month by the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, that targeted Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for what London described as "egregious abuses" of human rights in Gaza, The Independent reported.
The sanctions included travel bans and asset freezes.
While the UK has come under increasing pressure, including from senior Labour figures and trade unions, to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, Lammy declined to commit to a specific timeline.
"I'm not going to tie myself to a calendar because it's convenient for a soundbite," he said, adding that ceasefire negotiations are delicate and any recognition move must be assessed based on whether it brings meaningful change on the ground.
He noted that despite growing international recognition of Palestine, including by countries such as Ireland, Spain and Norway, "what we've seen is further annexation on the West Bank," suggesting that recognition alone has not advanced peace efforts.
Israeli carnage in Gaza
Israel has killed over 57,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Some 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under rubble of annihilated homes, according to Palestine's official WAFA news agency.
Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.
Over the course of the genocide, Israel reduced most of the blockaded enclave to ruins and practically displaced all of the population.
It also blocked the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid and only allowed a controversial US-backed aid group, which was established to bypass the UN aid work and was condemned as a "death trap."
