Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the UK will proceed with plans to airdrop aid into Gaza and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Downing Street announced on Saturday. The move follows talks between Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who jointly called for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid.
A No 10 spokesperson described the situation in Gaza as “appalling” and said the three leaders agreed to work together on a plan to “pave the way to a long-term solution and security in the region”. Starmer outlined the UK’s intention to collaborate with Jordan on the airdrops and medical evacuations, as global condemnation grows over Israel’s blockade of most aid.
Health officials in Gaza reported 43 deaths from hunger over three days this week, adding to a previous total of 68. Médecins Sans Frontières said severe malnutrition rates among children under five at its Gaza City clinic had tripled in the last two weeks. The head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) said frontline staff were fainting from hunger.
The UK joined 27 other countries in a joint statement condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity” and calling for an end to the war. They also rejected Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz’s proposal to move 600,000 Palestinians to a “humanitarian city” in Rafah as “completely unacceptable”. The Israeli foreign ministry dismissed the statement as “disconnected from reality”.
Separately, the Israeli military announced it would begin airdropping humanitarian aid and establish corridors for UN convoys, while preparing for “humanitarian pauses” in densely populated areas. The UAE also said it would resume aid drops “immediately”, citing the “critical” situation.
Starmer faces pressure from senior cabinet ministers and over a third of MPs to move faster on recognising a Palestinian state. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, and others are understood to believe the UK should take the lead alongside France. Foreign Secretary David Lammy faced questions from furious MPs on Monday, with Conservative MP Kit Malthouse saying he was “frankly astonished” by the government’s stance.
