Advertisement
Sir Keir Starmer today joined France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz to warn Iran against attacking Israel amid fears of fresh chaos in the Middle East. The Prime Minister issued a joint statement with the French President and German Chancellor to urge Tehran against further inflaming tensions in the region.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed ‘harsh punishment’ of Israel following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the country last month. But world leaders are piling pressure on Iran and its allies not to act due to concerns the 10-month Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza could turn into a wider Middle East war.
In their joint statement, Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Scholz called on Tehran ‘not to ‘jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages’ in Gaza. Sir Keir held a call with Egypt ‘s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi last week and also welcomed Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said of Oman to Downing Street for talks.
The PM’s joint statement with Mr Macron and Mr Scholz followed a similar message by U.S. president Joe Biden, Mr El-Sisi and Amir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, of Qatar. They endorsed a three-phase framework to demand Israel withdraws its troops from Gaza, Hamas returns hostages to their families and the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian aid.
‘We, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, welcome the tireless work of our partners in Qatar, Egypt and the United States towards an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages,’ Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Scholz wrote. ‘We agree that there can be no further delay. We have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability. The fighting must end now and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid. We are deeply concerned by the heightened tensions in the region and united in our commitment to de-escalation and regional stability.’
The statement continued: ‘In this context, and in particular, we call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages. They will bear responsibility for actions that jeopardise this opportunity for peace and stability. No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East.’
The U.S., Egyptian and Qatari leaders wrote in their statement on Thursday: ‘There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay.’ They urged ‘both sides’ in the Gaza conflict to join talks in Cairo or Doha on August 15, adding: ‘As mediators, if necessary, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties.’
On October 7 last year, Hamas burst through defences in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The Palestinian death toll is thought to be approaching 40,000 as a result of conflict in Gaza.
Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, based in Lebanon, have traded rocket fire with Israel over recent weeks and Israeli forces assassinated Mr Haniyeh, Hamas’ political chief, in Tehran at the end of July.
Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk