Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the groups were in a position to help British citizens who had to flee the territory, which was subject to Israeli bombing and food, water and fuel shortages.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the groups were in a position to help British citizens who had to flee the territory, which was subject to Israeli bombing and food, water and fuel shortages.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the groups were in a position to help British citizens who had to flee the territory, which was subject to Israeli bombing and food, water and fuel shortages.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the groups were in a position to help British citizens who had to flee the territory, which was subject to Israeli bombing and food, water and fuel shortages.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the groups were in a position to help British citizens flee the territory, which is subject to Israeli bombardment and shortages of food, water and fuel.
As Tel Aviv’s forces step up their operations against Hamas, which is responsible for the October 7 atrocities in Israel, Mr Cleverly wants to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Dozens of people were seen at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Wednesday, the first time foreign passport holders have been allowed to leave the besieged territory since fighting began.
UK groups are in a position to help UK citizens as soon as they leave.
It is important that life-saving humanitarian aid reaches Gaza as temporarily as possible.
– James Cleverly?? (@JamesCleverly) November 1, 2023
Cleverly said: “UK groups are in a position to lend a hand to UK citizens as soon as they leave.
“It is important that life-saving humanitarian aid reaches Gaza as temporarily as possible. “
The departure of British citizens from Gaza will most likely take place in stages over the next few days.
Intense diplomatic efforts involving Rishi Sunak, Cleverly and Middle East Minister Lord Ahmad, as well as their Egyptian, Israeli and Qatari counterparts, have helped ensure that British citizens are among those who will leave Gaza.
The border will be open for “controlled and time-limited periods” to allow express teams of foreign nationals and the seriously wounded to leave Gaza, Western officials said.
The list of other people who will be allowed to leave has been agreed between Egypt and Israel, with the embassies of the countries involved informed in advance.
The UK has a team of border forces in Cairo, with consular officers in Arish, near Rafah, to supply Britons leaving Gaza.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, whose in-laws were trapped in the Gaza Strip with “dwindling supplies,” welcomed the opening of the crossing.
But a spokesman for the First Minister said the Scottish government understood that Britons would still be allowed to leave.
Yousaf’s in-laws, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla from Dundee, travelled to Gaza to stop at their circle of relatives before the fighting broke out.
In a statement, the spokesperson said: “We continue to be in contact with the UK government and urge them to work with the Egyptian government so that all British citizens can leave Gaza urgently as soon as possible.
“The Prime Minister’s wife, Nadia, spoke to her mother this morning. The family remains stuck in Gaza, with no water and dwindling supplies. “
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said Israeli airstrikes on the refugee camp of Jabalia, a Hamas commander, were part of the “terrible nature” of the conflict.
Asked via Sky News whether Israel had violated foreign law with the attacks, the deputy prime minister said: “Hamas is a terrorist organization that has murdered more than 1,000 innocent Israeli men, women and young people with bloodless blood, and now it hides among civilians. This is a very complicated conflict.
“We continue to urge the Israeli government to respect foreign law. Let the Israeli government continue to do this in opposition to an enemy lurking among civilians. “
The Labour Party has called on the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) to make an appeal for Gaza, subsidised by taxpayer-funded funds.
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Shadow Development Minister Lisa Nandy were in Cairo to discuss the crisis.
Lammy said: “There is a pressing need to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Gaza and an appeal through the DEC with the help of the government would galvanise public efforts to help those in need.
“We will also have to start making plans for large-scale reconstruction that will be mandatory for the rest of Gazans to live in peace and dignity. In the long term, there can only be a political solution based on both sides. “state solution. “
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