UK's Starmer says 'immediate steps' needed towards Gaza ceasefire

The UK PM says urgent steps must be taken so hostages are released and humanitarian aid can reach those in desperate need

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a visit to Hutchinson Engineering in Widnes, Cheshire, Britain Jul 25, 2024. James Glossop/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Israel's President Isaac Herzog there needed to be "immediate steps" towards a ceasefire in Israel's conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza.

"The Prime Minister said there must be immediate steps towards a ceasefire, so that hostages can be released and more humanitarian aid can get in for those in desperate need," Starmer's office said in a statement released on Sunday.

"The Prime Minister reiterated his ongoing support for Israel's right to self-defence in accordance with international law," the statement said.

Starmer met Herzog in Paris where both were attending the Olympics.

In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jul 7 shortly after Starmer took office, he "set out the clear and urgent need for a ceasefire," according to a previous British government statement.

Starmer on Sunday said there was no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas and expressed his condolences for the deaths of five hostages kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7 whose bodies had recently been recovered.

About 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage in the Oct 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.