Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his office. | Image Credit: PTI
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called on his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise restraint in the wake of Iran’s missile attack, and his foreign secretary, David Cameron, landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday for talks.
In a telephone call, Mr. Sunak reiterated the UK’s “unwavering support” for regional stability and told the Israeli leader that Iran had miscalculated its move, resulting in isolation on the global stage.
Mr. Netanyahu is said to have thanked Britain for its “swift and firm” support in the face of Iran’s unprecedented direct attack on Israel on Saturday.
“The prime minister (Sunak) said Iran had miscalculated badly with coordinating the G7 diplomatic response and was increasingly isolated on the global stage,” Downing Street read of the call on Tuesday evening.
“He stressed that a significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest and will only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. This is a moment for calmer heads to prevail,” the statement said.
On the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, Mr Sunak said Mr Netanyahu was seriously concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis.
“The UK wants to see a massive shift in aid access to flood Gaza with vital supplies, including the opening of new aid routes as soon as possible by Israel. The Prime Minister said at the weekend it was deeply disappointing that Hamas had blocked a deal to save Palestinian lives and guarantee the safe release of hostages,” Downing Street added.
The call will form the backdrop to Mr Cameron’s discussions in Israel, where he will meet Mr. Netanyahu is expected to meet with senior Israeli officials and try to talk the country into retaliating against Iran’s attack.
The visit will include meetings in the occupied West Bank, after which Mr Cameron will travel to a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) ministers in Italy to discuss further sanctions on Iran.
The UK condemned Iran’s “reckless and dangerous escalation” in the region and called on all sides to show restraint following Tehran’s “barrage of 300 missiles and drones” targeting Israel over the weekend.
India has called for an “immediate de-escalation” of hostilities between Iran and Israel and a “return to the path of diplomacy”. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held phone calls with his counterparts in Iran and Israel after Indian authorities are expected to allow access to its crew on board the ship with Israeli connections seized by Iranian forces.