The UK has conducted unarmed surveillance flights over the Gaza Strip to locate Israeli captives held by Hamas in the Palestinian enclave, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy acknowledged.

Lammy stated that the Ministry of Defense is carrying out aerial surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including Gaza’s airspace, claiming that these aircraft are unarmed, and their sole mission is to identify the locations of the captives.  

In a message addressed to the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons, Lammy explained that the ministry is specifically focused on ensuring the safe and immediate release of British national Emily Damari and three other captives with strong ties to the United Kingdom: Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifshitz, and Avinatan Or.

He stressed that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is the best way to secure the release of all captives.

Regarding "Israel’s" compliance with international humanitarian law during the war on Gaza, Lammy claimed in the message to the committee that it was not possible to assess "Israel's" adherence to the principle of proportionality.

He attributed this to what he referred to as the complex and contested information environment in Gaza, as well as the difficulty in accessing specific and sensitive information.

UK MPs condemn gov silence on Gaza war crimes, urge envoy expulsion

Last week, British lawmakers strongly criticized the Keir Starmer government for its stance on the dire humanitarian condition in the Gaza Strip, warning that silence in the face of the brutal crimes of the Zionist regime is tantamount to complicity in genocide and the regime’s illegal actions against the Palestinian people.

One British lawmaker called for "Israel's" economic and military isolation to push the occupation entity toward a "negotiated settlement", suggesting that the Israeli ambassador to the UK should be expelled, Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday.

Independent MP John McDonnell highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly exacerbated by harsh winter conditions.

"We've witnessed over the Christmas period when we're celebrating with our families, the scenes of children starving and freezing to death as a result of Israeli actions,” he stated.

Addressing the House of Commons, McDonnell emphasized that the only viable solution in the past had been the "total isolation of a country" both economically and militarily to prevent the kind of war crimes "Israel" is accused of committing.

"I think this Government could take a leading role in that isolation of Israel to bring it some form of negotiated settlement," he indicated.

McDonnell also criticized the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, for her controversial remarks, particularly her support for "Greater Israel" and her refusal to acknowledge a Palestinian state.

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"We have an Israeli ambassador who’s an advocate of Greater Israel, refuses to recognize the Palestinian state, defies all the UN resolutions that have been passed about how we can secure that peace, and she still remains in this country. Why aren’t we expelling the Israeli ambassador," he questioned.

Hotovely has caused anger on several occasions since October 7, 2023, such as denying there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and claiming that the Israeli military was not bombing civilians in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Labour Party MP Zarah Sultana expressed her support for McDonnell's call to expel the Israeli ambassador, writing on X, "I agree with @johnmcdonnellMP: Expel the Israeli Ambassador NOW."

'Where is the justice?'

The House of Commons meeting began with an urgent question from Layla Moran, a representative of the Liberal Democrat Party, who narrated heartbreaking stories about the situation of the people of Gaza and called for decisive action by the British government.

In response, Hamish Falconer, the British Deputy Foreign Secretary, while condemning "Israel’s" policies, explained the government’s alleged measures to provide aid; however, many MPs considered these measures "insufficient" and "late."

Referring to the critical situation in northern Gaza, Moran emphasized that nearly 46,000 people have been killed and more than 2.3 million Gazans are at risk of famine.

"We all know the statistics, But let’s go beyond the numbers and listen to a human story," she said and then moved to narrate the story of a surgeon whose family was trapped in the Jabalia refugee camp and then targeted by a drone strike.

"What part of international law justifies this massacre? Where is the justice?" she asked while her voice was trembling.

Falconer acknowledged that the situation in Gaza was critical and "Israel must address it urgently" and claimed that his government was working with international allies to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.

However, many MPs, including Emily Thornberry, chair of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, considered the government’s actions insufficient. "We have heard from witnesses, time and again, that the British government could have done more, but that it was either too little or too late."

Meanwhile, Labour MP Ebtisam Mohammed, referring to reports of the Israeli army forcibly evicting residents of northern Gaza, described the measures as “ethnic cleansing” and called on the government to take a firm stance on the issue.

"We are watching ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the world remains silent. Does the UK government recognize this?" she asked.

Another point of contention at the meeting was British arms exports to "Israel".

"Is the government prepared to stop arms sales to Israel?" asked Callum Miller, a spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.

"We will never allow weapons sold by the UK to be used to violate international law," Falconer said despite knowing Britain’s incomplete measures to restrict arms exports to the Zionist regime.

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