Speaking on 17 July about developments in Gaza, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said:

We have been calling on Hamas to end the rocket attacks on Israel for days now. Israel has a right to defend itself, but in doing so it has to act proportionately and it needs to take all steps to minimise civilian casualties.

What we really want to see now is an enduring ceasefire that will allow the bloodshed on both sides to stop and the underlying causes of this problem to be resolved through negotiation.

Further information

Further information on the Gaza crisis

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