UK foreign secretary to visit Jordan, Egypt to push for 'sustainable ceasefire'

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit Jordan and Egypt this week to push for a sustainable cease-fire and further humanitarian pauses in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 19,600 Palestinians, displaced most of the population and led to shortages of food, water and medicines.

On his second visit to the region, Cameron will travel to the two countries alongside Minister for the Middle East Lord Ahmad, according to a Foreign Office statement on Wednesday.

The foreign secretary will discuss the urgent need for "a sustainable ceasefire" involving the release of hostages and an end to rocket fire into Israel.

"No one wants to see this conflict go on for a moment longer than necessary. But for a ceasefire to work, it needs to be sustainable," said Cameron, who was in Paris and Rome on Tuesday, ahead of his visit.

"If Israel is still facing Hamas in Gaza with rockets and terror tactics, not only will a ceasefire not be sustainable, a two-state solution in the longer term will also not be possible," he added.

This comes after a recent policy change from the British government, which had rejected to make any call for a cease-fire, reiterating that Israel had a "right to defend itself."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had earlier said a "sustainable ceasefire" is needed in Gaza as "too many lives have been lost" under Israeli bombardments.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 19,667 Palestinians have since been killed and 52,586 injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas cross-border offensive stands at 1,200.