‘A nation is in grief’, Rishi Sunak on his visit to Israel

Amidst the soaring tensions between Israel and Palestine, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel on Thursday to address the country's conflict with Hamas which has claimed hundreds of lives and maimed several thousands. Sunak conveyed his solidarity with Israel, ‘a nation in grief.’ His trip comes a day after US President Joe Biden met with Israel's top officials in Tel Aviv.

Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the United Kingdom Prime Minister said, “I am in Israel, a nation in grief. I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism. Today and always.”

Sunak's office informed that the prime minister will express his condolences for the loss of life in Israel and Palestine and will caution against further escalation. He will also call for the establishment of a passage to let humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt "as soon as possible" and to guarantee that British citizens there can evacuate.

The UK Prime Minister stated that the strike on the hospital in Gaza was a "watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict." Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, also known as the Baptist Hospital, was struck on Tuesday night, resulting in at least 500 fatalities. According to Palestinian sources, the explosion was caused by one of the several Israeli bombs landed on Gaza since it declared war against Hamas. Israel, for its side, denied any involvement in the strike, claiming that the explosion was caused by a misfired rocket fired towards Israel by Hamas fighters. Additionally, the United States has supported Israel's assertion, stating that intelligence disproves Tel Aviv's involvement in the strike.