Britain aims for a balanced stance on the Middle East conflict and will employ diplomatic measures to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, stated new foreign minister David Lammy in an interview with Reuters.
This visit to Germany marks Lammy‘s first international trip since the Labour Party’s decisive win in Britain’s recent election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule and making Keir Starmer the new prime minister.
“The time has come for the United Kingdom to reconnect with the outside world,” Lammy remarked in Berlin. “I want to get back to a balanced position on Israel and Gaza.
“We’ve been very clear that we want to see a ceasefire … We want to see those hostages out.”
He emphasized, “The fighting has to stop, the aid has got to get in, and I will use all diplomatic efforts to ensure that we get to that ceasefire.” Lammy did not provide further details.
Despite Labour’s overwhelming victory in the parliamentary vote, the party faced significant setbacks in regions with large Muslim populations due to dissatisfaction over its stance on the Gaza conflict.
Efforts to achieve a ceasefire and release hostages in Gaza progressed on Friday, following Hamas’s revised proposal for a deal and Israel’s agreement to continue negotiations into the next week.
Gaza health authorities report over 38,000 Palestinian deaths since the offensive, which was a response to a Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Lammy also indicated that Britain plans to recalibrate its global stance on issues such as the climate crisis and key international relationships, including those with European and emerging powers.
“Let us put the Brexit years behind us … there’s much that we can do together,” Lammy said, referencing a potential UK-EU security pact.
On Sunday, Lammy is set to travel to Poland and Sweden to discuss cooperation on NATO and the war in Ukraine, according to Britain’s foreign office.