PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary commits to working closely with Islamic states on Israel-Gaza crisis at Lancaster House meeting [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 November 2023.

The Foreign Secretary hosted a delegation of Foreign Ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in London.

• the Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Ministers from Arab and Islamic countries at Lancaster House today to discuss co-operation on the crisis in Israel and Gaza
• discussions with the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee focused on how to secure the release of all hostages, increase the amount of aid into Gaza, and reach a long-term political solution to the crisis
• visit followed agreement reached overnight between Israel and Hamas on coordinated hostage releases and a pause in the fighting

Following the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas for coordinated hostage releases and a 4-day pause in the fighting, the Foreign Secretary emphasised the importance of allowing humanitarian organisations to bring in more fuel so they can carry out lifesaving work unimpeded – including powering hospitals or desalination plants, which supply 80% of Gaza’s water.

The Foreign Secretary discussed with leaders at the meeting how to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts towards a viable two-state solution, which provides security for both Israelis and Palestinians, and restated the UK’s condemnation of the rise in settler violence in the West Bank.

He committed to continued UK support to prevent wider regional escalation, including in Lebanon and Yemen.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

Today I have chaired a meeting of leaders from Arab countries and other Islamic states on the situation in Israel and Gaza.

The agreement reached last night is an important opportunity to get the hostages out and more aid into Gaza to help the Palestinian people.

We discussed how to use this step forward to think about the future and how we can build a peaceful future which provides security for Israel but also peace and stability for the Palestinian people.

Foreign Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Turkey, Indonesia and Nigeria, as well as the Secretary General of the League of Arab States and Ambassador of Qatar attended the event in London.

The group was formed as a ‘Peace Committee’ at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, held in Riyadh on 11 November. The group are visiting the capitals of Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, arriving in London after meetings in Beijing and Moscow, with further travel planned to Paris and Washington.

The UK has helped lead the international response to the humanitarian crisis, by recently announcing £30 million in additional aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 23 October – more than doubling the existing aid commitment for this year (£27 million).