By Elham Asaad Buaras
London (The Muslim News): The British Government has issued its strongest condemnation yet of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, pausing trade talks and imposing sanctions on some Israeli settlers in the West Bank, as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave worsens by the hour.
Gaza’s Government Media Office on Tuesday accused Israel of implementing a deliberate campaign of starvation, reporting at least 326 deaths from malnutrition and lack of medicine and over 300 miscarriages linked to nutritional deficiencies during an 80-day blockade that has sealed off all border crossings and halted the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“The Israeli occupation’s starvation policy in Gaza has caused 326 deaths due to malnutrition and lack of food and medicine, along with more than 300 cases of miscarriage during these 80 days,” the office said in a statement. It went on to label Israel’s actions a “clear act of genocide”.
While Israel has allowed a limited number of aid trucks to enter Gaza this week, the United Nations has confirmed that supplies have yet to be distributed to those in need.
“Today one of our teams waited several hours for the Israeli green light to access the Kareem Shalom area and collect the nutrition supplies. Unfortunately, they were not able to bring those supplies into our warehouse,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
“To make it clear, while more supplies have come into the Gaza Strip, we have not been able to secure the arrival of those supplies into our warehouses and delivery points.”
The UN said Israel had approved the entry of around 100 trucks on Tuesday, up from nine the previous day, but aid agencies have stressed that at least 44,000 trucks would have been needed during the blockade period to meet the minimum basic needs of Gaza’s population.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll from Israel’s military campaign since October 2023 has risen to 53,573, with 121,688 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
In the past 24 hours alone, 87 Palestinian bodies have been recovered, and over 70 people were reported killed in strikes on displacement shelters in Gaza City.
The UK government on Tuesday paused negotiations on a new free trade agreement (FTA) with Israel, citing what Foreign Secretary David Lammy described as a morally indefensible policy of deliberate deprivation.
Speaking in the Commons, Lammy condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated intention to allow “just enough to prevent hunger” in Gaza. “It’s morally unjustifiable. It’s disproportionate; it’s utterly, utterly counterproductive,” he told MPs.
He also unveiled new sanctions targeting three Israeli settlers, including far-right activist Daniella Weiss, along with two settler outposts and two groups accused of inciting violence against Palestinians. The measures include travel bans and financial restrictions.
“It is not possible to advance discussions on a new, upgraded FTA with a Netanyahu government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza,” Lammy said.
Hamish Falconer, Minister for the Middle East, summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely to the Foreign Office to express the UK’s deep concerns. In a statement, Falconer described the 11-week blockade as “cruel and indefensible” and criticised what he called the “wholly disproportionate escalation of military activity in Gaza”.
The Muslim Council of Britain welcomed the government’s action. “This is a necessary and overdue response to the grave and ongoing violations of international law in Gaza,” said Mustafa Al-Dabbagh, the Council’s Assistant Secretary-General.
Humanitarian agencies also responded. Oxfam GB’s Chief Executive, Halima Begum, warned that an estimated 14,000 babies in Gaza could die of starvation in the next 48 hours unless mass-scale aid is allowed in.
“Without suspending parts for Israeli F-35 fighter jets, the UK government remains complicit in the deaths of thousands of civilians across Gaza,” she said.
“Any further delays will literally mean the difference between life and death for countless Palestinians and could jeopardise the safe release of hostages.”
She urged the government to go further by suspending all arms exports and implementing “a full package of sanctions on political leaders and settlers in Israel who are seeking to erase Palestine from the map”.
In response to the UK’s announcement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the move, stating that the FTA talks had not been advancing in any case. It labelled the British sanctions “unjustified and regrettable” and concluded tersely: “The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago.”
As Gaza’s civilian infrastructure collapses, famine tightens its grip and rescue efforts stall under bombardment, the international community faces increasing pressure to intervene decisively. The situation, described by the UN as “abominable”, continues to spiral, with no ceasefire in sight.
[Photo: Displaced Palestinian children are seen living in temporary shelters and damaged structures in Gaza City, Gaza, on May 20, 2025. As Israel’s attacks and policies on the besieged Gaza Strip continue without pause, Palestinians struggle to maintain their daily lives amid the devastation. Photojournalist: Mahmoud İssa/AA]
