Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron Urges Israel To ‘Stop And Think’ Amid Rafah Operation

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron urged Israel to “stop and think very seriously” before continuing its military operations in Rafah as violence escalates in southern Gaza.

The city is a sanctuary for approximately a million displaced civilians and was subjected to bombardment Sunday night, with 67 Palestinians killed and dozens more injured. The airstrikes were part of a broader operation that saw Israel successfully freeing two hostages.

The already dire humanitarian situation in Rafah has sparked international concern, with Cameron highlighting the untenable conditions faced by those caught in the conflict.

“We think it is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people. There’s nowhere for them to go,” Cameron told reporters Monday.

He added: “We are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think very seriously before it takes any further action. But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting and we want that pause to lead to a ceasefire.”

Cameron also announced sanctions against four Israeli settlers for human rights abuses in the West Bank. Moshe Sharvit, Yinon Levy, Zvi Bar Yosef and Ely Federman had their UK assets frozen and are subject to a UK visa ban.

“Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs,” the minister said. “This behaviour is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through.”