Palestinian Ambassador Warns Gaza Conflict Will Spread Across Region
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom, has issued a stark warning that Israel's military actions in Gaza represent merely the beginning of a broader regional conflict. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Zomlot asserted that the ongoing violence will inevitably spread beyond Palestinian territories.
"What Happens in Gaza Will Happen Everywhere"
"Israel is always in search of an enemy because they don't want to deal with the biggest elephant in the room, which is the Palestinian people," Zomlot explained during the interview conducted at the new Palestinian embassy in London. "We have warned the world for years: if this can happen in Gaza, it will be done elsewhere. And here you go."
The ambassador's comments come as Israel prepares to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, weeks after warning it would take the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the creation of a buffer zone in Lebanon as necessary to fight Hezbollah and protect Israeli territory, drawing parallels to the situation in Gaza.
Humanitarian Crisis Expanding
Thousands of Lebanese civilians have already been displaced into temporary tent settlements, with United Nations calls for respecting Lebanon's territorial integrity appearing to fall on deaf ears. Lebanon's deputy prime minister expressed fears on Thursday that the territory could create a new humanitarian crisis mirroring the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.
"This is it," said Zomlot, a longstanding critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian statehood. "We have said so many times: What happens in Palestine does not stay in Palestine. Whatever happens in Palestine spreads to the rest of the world."
International Context and UK Recognition
The United Kingdom upgraded its Palestinian Mission to embassy status in January 2026 after formally recognizing the state of Palestine in September 2025. The embassy, located in an unassuming office in Hammersmith, west London, represents a significant diplomatic achievement for Palestinian representation.
However, reaching this point has not been without challenges. In November 2023, staff reported multiple attacks and death threats, investigated by the Metropolitan Police as hate incidents. In November 2025, masked activists vandalized the building with stickers reading "I love the IDF," prompting Zomlot to call for diplomatic protection.
Regional Tensions Reverberating in Britain
The impact of Middle East conflicts continues to reverberate in the United Kingdom, where both anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents have increased since the Hamas attacks of October 2023 and subsequent Gaza conflict. Britain has witnessed attacks on Jewish community ambulances in London amid this tense climate.
Zomlot, born in 1973 in the Shaburah refugee camp in Rafah, understands the personal costs of conflict intimately. During the two-year Israeli military onslaught in Gaza, his wife's 7-year-old cousin, Sidra Hassouna, made international headlines when a harrowing image of her body went viral during the American Super Bowl in February 2024.
Legal Framework and International Response
The ambassador believes the path to peace lies in international law and domestic policies that align with legal obligations. "The law is the law," Zomlot emphasized. "We need to respect these rules. You can't be selective when it comes to issues of legality."
He referenced UN Security Council Resolution 2334 from December 2016 and the International Court of Justice's 2024 ruling concerning illegal Israeli settlements. "What I'm discussing with you about the action required is not a political demand. It's a legal obligation," he stated.
Calls for Concrete International Action
Zomlot advocates for sanctions, suspending trade talks, and canceling export licenses to Israel as initial steps toward accountability. Palestine is now recognized as a state by 147 of 193 UN member states, with several nations including the UK, Canada, and Australia taking formal steps in 2025.
"From a political sense, if your policy is belief in a two-state solution, why has it taken so long to recognize the other state?" Zomlot questioned, describing the recognition as welcome but long overdue.
Human Cost and Accusations
According to local officials, over 72,134 people have been killed in Gaza, nearly half of them women and children, with thousands more missing and suspected buried under rubble. "This is not an earthquake or a tsunami that befall Gaza," Zomlot declared. "This is a man-made orchestrated genocide by the occupying power that is Israel."
Israel has vehemently denied committing genocide in Gaza, contradicting reports from organizations including the United Nations and Amnesty International.
Path Forward and Regional Stability
"It is very important that Gaza is rebuilt by Palestinians," the ambassador stressed. "Gaza is one of the oldest continuous human communities on earth. It has a rich and ancient history. All we ask: Israel out. Leave the rest to us."
Zomlot concluded with a fundamental assessment of regional dynamics: "The core issue in the region is the issue of Palestine. You solve this, and you can establish a stable regional order. Palestine is the only issue. It is a prerequisite for peace and stability in the region. The time is now."
