Downing Road later confused that ‘the UK and Israel are longstanding allies’ regardless of their variations.
Revealed On 11 Sep 2025
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised Israel’s “man-made famine” in Gaza following a controversial assembly with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in London.
“They have to cease the man-made famine from worsening additional by letting assist in and halting their offensive operations,” a Downing Road spokesperson mentioned following the assembly on Wednesday.
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Starmer “implored Israel to vary course” in Gaza, the spokesperson mentioned.
The uncommon rebuke marks one in every of Starmer’s strongest criticisms of Israel since taking workplace in July 2024. It additionally comes as assist teams warn that a whole lot of 1000’s of Palestinians in Gaza face catastrophic starvation after almost two years of bombardment and blockade.
Herzog’s go to to London drew widespread criticism in the UK, with 1000’s demonstrating exterior Downing Road for a second consecutive day, in accordance with the Palestine Solidarity Marketing campaign.
Protesters additionally gathered on the London-based suppose tank Chatham Home, banging pots and pans as Herzog delivered a speech.
“There’s a genocide occurring and the president of that nation is in our nation and being welcomed right here, when no one is blissful about it,” a protester informed Al Jazeera.
“This isn’t diplomacy,” mentioned one other protester.
“You’re aiding and abetting a genocide – and this man shouldn’t be welcome in our nation.”
The assembly between Herzog and Starmer got here a day after Israel launched an air strike on Qatar, a detailed ally of the US and the UK, that focused a Hamas management delegation.
The Downing Road spokesperson mentioned Starmer informed Herzog the strike on Doha was “unacceptable” and condemned it as “a flagrant violation of a key associate’s sovereignty”.
Regardless of the sharp phrases, the spokesperson added that “the UK and Israel are longstanding allies”.
Talking after his assembly with Starmer, Herzog confirmed the 2 leaders had “argued out of respect”.
“Issues had been mentioned that had been powerful and robust,” Herzog mentioned, including, “Clearly, we will argue, as a result of when allies meet, they will argue. We’re each democracies.”
Herzog additionally mentioned that he had invited the UK to ship “a fact-finding mission” to Israel “to review the scenario in Gaza on the humanitarian stage”.
Herzog beforehand mentioned publicly that the “total [Palestinian] nation” was chargeable for the October 7 assaults on Israel, and two months later, he was witnessed personally signing artillery shells attributable to be fired into Gaza.
In parliament earlier on Wednesday, Scottish Nationwide Occasion chief Stephen Flynn requested: “What does it say of this prime minister that he’ll harbour this man while youngsters starve?”
Starmer defended his determination to satisfy Herzog, rejecting calls to chop diplomatic ties. “I can’t hand over on diplomacy,” he mentioned.
“That’s the politics of scholars.”
