Israel ‘making the decision to act’ but should escalate conflict as ‘little as possible’, Lord Cameron says

Tobias Billstrom visit to the UK

Israel is “making the decision to act” in response to Saturday’s attack by Iran, the Foreign Secretary has said on a visit to the country for talks with its leaders.

Lord Cameron called on Tel Avivto respond in a way that will do ‘as little to escalate this” as possible.

He travelled to Israel late on Tuesday to discuss its response to the barrage of drones and missiles.

The UK and other countries have led calls for restraint in retaliation.

Rishi Sunak delivered a similar message to Mr Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday, saying it was “time for calm heads to prevail”.

However, speaking to broadcasters in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary said Israel appeared to be preparing to act.

He said: “It is right to have made our views clear about what should happen next, but it is clear the Israelis are making the decision to act.

“We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said yesterday, is smart as well as tough.”

Lord Cameron is expected to hold meetings with senior Israeli figures, including Mr Netanayahu and visit the West Bank.

He will then head to a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Italy.

Lord Cameron said he hoped the meeting would result in more “co-ordinated sanctions” against Iran, saying a ” clear and unequivocal message” had to be sent to Tehran.

The UK has already sanctioned several Iranians along with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

But ministers have rejected calls from MPs to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, warning it jeopardise Britain’s ability to engage diplomatically with Iran.

The UK helped defend Israel when Iran launched around 350 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday.

British jets shot down a number of the drones.

The attack came after Iran blamed Israel for the targeting of a diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month.

Israel’s government has said the attack “will be met with a response”.

Separately, foreign office minister David Rutley said the government was “pushing as hard as it can” to get more aid into Gaza.

He told the Commons the humanitarian situation was “dire”. The Iran attack had not changed “our focus on ensuring Israel meets its commitments to enable at least 500 aid trucks a day to enter Gaza,” he said. “We are pushing as hard as we can to get aid to Palestinian civilians and as this House knows we have been urging Israel at the highest levels to take immediate action on the bottlenecks holding up humanitarian relief.”

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