UK denounces Israeli aid restrictions for Gaza as 'affront' to UN charter

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The UK sharply rebuffed Israel on Tuesday for its restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza's starving population, calling the policies an "affront" to the UN charter.

"The devastation in Gaza is heartbreaking. Children are starving, and Israel's drip-feeding of aid has horrified the world. These are an affront to the values of the Charter of the United Nations," Foreign Minister David Lammy told the Security Council.

"It is with the hand of history on our shoulders that His Majesty's government therefore intends to recognize the State of Palestine when the UN General Assembly gathers in September here in New York," he added, reiterating an announcement from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer said London would take action "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution," in an apparent effort to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Tel Aviv.