Amid the raging Israel-Hamas conflict, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak landed in Tel Aviv on Thursday, October 19 making him the second world leader to visit the war-torn nation after US President Joe Biden.
In a post on X, Sunak 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.”
According to a BBC News report, Sunak will first meet his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after his arrival, after which the British leader will travel to other regional capitals.
Ahead of his trip, he had said: “Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost following Hamas’s horrific act of terror.”
He will also offer his condolences for the civilians killed in the deadly Hamas attacks, as well as press for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza as soon as possible.
1,400 Israelis, 3,785 Palestinians killed as war enters 13th day
The war began on Saturday, October 7, after Hamas infiltrated southern Israel, sending fighters, firing 5,000 rockets, and taking captives, including women, children, and the elderly, which prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn of “a long and difficult war.“
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, causing severe water and food shortages, and significant concern for the region’s impoverished residents.
In Gaza, the health ministry said that at least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed, including 1,000 children and 12,065 citizens wounded due to Israeli attacks.
On the Israeli side, at least 1,400 people have been killed, including 306 soldiers and 4,475 injured.
Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah calls for end to ‘massacres’; makes donation
Liverpool footballer Mohamed Salah has urged for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and for an end to “massacres.”
“It is not always easy to speak in a time like this. There has been too much violence and too much heartbreak and brutality,” Salah said in a video posted on Instagram.
“The escalations in recent weeks is unbearable to witness. All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop, families are being torn apart.”
Through the Egyptian Red Crescent, Salah made a significant donation to the people of Gaza. The amount was undisclosed.
Israel arrests Palestinian singer
Israeli police arrested a Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amna from the city of Nazareth on charges of incitement and support for Palestine, Anadolu Agency reported.
She was arrested following several social media posts.
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