STORY: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin said on Thursday (May 22) that UK, French and Canadian leaders are "on the wrong side of humanity," two days after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he, along with the leaders of France and Canada, were horrified by the escalation in Gaza, repeating calls for a ceasefire.

Britain on Tuesday paused free trade talks with Israel, summoned its ambassador, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers as its foreign minister condemned a "monstrous" military escalation in Gaza.

The Israeli military announced the start of a new operation last week and medics in Gaza say Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days.

Israel has also blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March, prompting international experts to warn of looming famine, although some trucks were allowed to enter on Monday.

Foreign minister David Lammy said the offensive was "a dark new phase in this conflict", called for Israel to end the blockade of aid and condemned comments by finance minister Bezalel Smotrich on the possible cleansing and destruction of Gaza and relocation of its residents to third countries.

Lammy said Britain would take further action if Israel pursued its military offensive.

Britain has said it is committed to Israel's security and argues it has a right to self-defence following the deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas.

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VIDEO SHOWS: ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, REACTING AFTER UK PM KEIR STARMER SAID HE, ALONG WITH FRENCH AND CANADIAN LEADERS, WERE HORRIFIED BY THE SITUATION IN GAZA

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SHOWS: JERUSALEM (MAY 22, 2025) (GPO - Access all)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others. They are now proposing to establish a Palestinian state and reward these murderers with the ultimate prize. Well for 18 years we had a de facto Palestinian state. It’s called Gaza. And what did we get? Peace? No. We got the most savage slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. You won't be surprised to learn that Hamas thanked President Macron and Prime Ministers Starmer and Carney for demanding that Israel end its war in Gaza immediately. Hamas was right to thank them. Because by issuing their demand – replete with a threat of sanctions against Israel, not Hamas – these three leaders effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power. They want Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas's army of mass murderers will survive, rebuild and repeat the October 7th massacre again and again and again because that's what Hamas has vowed to do. I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice. You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history. Now, these leaders may think that they're advancing peace. They’re not. They’re emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever. And they give them hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state. And mind you, it's not going to be a state free of Hamas. When you establish a Palestinian state, we've seen it, the radicals take over. Iran sends them in and they take over. So don't give us this talk, "It'll be a peaceful Palestinian state". It won't be."