British government does not support ceasefire in Gaza

The Prime Minister's spokesperson answered questions at a press briefing for foreign journalists in London.

In response to the question, "What is the British government's red line for calling for a ceasefire in Gaza now?", the spokesperson reiterated that while the government supports humanitarian pauses, they do not currently support calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The spokesperson stated, "Our position at this stage is that we do not want a ceasefire to benefit Hamas."

Emphasizing that the UK's long-standing position on the peace process in the Middle East in the broader region is very clear, the spokesperson noted the following:

"We support a negotiated solution that will ensure the existence of a secure and safe Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, and we advocate for this in all our meetings with leaders in the region."

"We do not intend to independently investigate and verify every attack"

The spokesperson gave the following response to an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter's question: "In your response to our question regarding the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital two weeks ago, you suggested that the missile that hit the hospital was fired from Gaza. So, was today's attack on Al-Shifa Hospital also carried out from Gaza?"

"We do not intend to independently investigate and verify every attack (in Gaza), but we believe it is important for the relevant authorities to establish the facts when the time comes."

"It is not for us to determine whether war crimes have been committed"

When asked about the UK's position in the context of calls to investigate war crimes committed in Gaza, the spokesperson replied, "We continue to call for respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. It is not for us to determine whether war crimes have been committed."

"We strongly condemn settler violence against Palestinians"

When asked if they condemned the acts of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, the spokesperson commented, "Yes, absolutely. We strongly condemn the violence by (Israeli) settlers against Palestinians."

Furthermore, the spokesperson recalled that this issue was also raised during the recent phone call between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Latest situation in Israel's attacks on Gaza

Hamas's armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, launched a comprehensive attack on the morning of October 7, citing the need to respond to Israel's "continuous violations against Palestinians and their sacred values, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque," while the Israeli army began intensive aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Israel has announced that more than 1,400 Israelis, including 354 soldiers, have been killed since October 7, with 38 of those deaths occurring in clashes within the Gaza Strip, and 5,132 people have been injured.

According to Israel, there are 239 Israeli hostages in the hands of the Al-Qassam Brigades.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, 11,078 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women, and 27,490 people have been injured.

In the West Bank and Jerusalem, Israeli forces and Jewish settlers have killed 182 Palestinians.

The Israeli army has struck the Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest health facility in Gaza housing thousands of wounded and civilians, the Al-Nasr Children's Hospital, the Al-Ahli Baptist and the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospitals, and the surroundings of the Al-Quds and Indonesian hospitals affiliated with the Palestine Red Crescent, which it forced to evacuate. Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in the attacks.

In the clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah since October 8, 70 Hezbollah members and 4 Israeli soldiers have been killed.