UK premier vows to continue pressure on Israel to allow aid into Gaza

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains “heartbreaking,” adding that his government is doing “everything” possible to pressure Israel to allow necessary aid into the territory. “The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains heartbreaking,” Burnham said during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session in the House of Commons. His comments came after he was asked about the recent storm in Gaza, which flooded more than 70,000 tents and brought down dozens of war-damaged walls, according to the Government Media Office.

“We are doing everything that we can to put pressure on the Israeli government to allow the necessary aid into Gaza and to lift the restrictions on it,” the prime minister added. Two women and three children were killed late Sunday when a sand embankment collapsed onto tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, Gaza’s Civil Defense said. Burnham also noted that his government has taken further steps on sanctions, particularly those related to settlements in the occupied West Bank, to preserve the viability of a two-state solution.

“Of course, we await the outcome of the negotiations following the Israeli general election, but he can be certain that we will continue to pursue the path that we’ve set out,” he underlined.