Out of government, not seeking re-election, and seemingly unfettered by the diplomatic considerations that he would have needed to observe as a minister, he states that Israel risks losing "authority for war" in Gaza by going on a crude and indiscriminate "killing rage" against the Palestinian people. Notably doubling down on Cameron's warning to Israel but also going much further. The recently departed defence secretary, Ben Wallace - who has largely remained silent on defence issues since he left government - has written stridently in the Telegraph about the conflict. The shift is being echoed by those outside government too. His argument has been reiterated this morning by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said: "It’s clear that too many civilian lives have been lost and nobody wants to see this conflict go on a day longer than it has to." Writing in The Times, his article was co-authored with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in what must be seen as a deliberate choice to align with a country that has been one of the most uncritical of Israel's response since the 7 October attacks - an indication that Western governments are united in this shift of tone. While the UK maintains it supports Israel's right to self defence, it marks a shift in tone towards its longstanding ally. While it may seem like a relatively minor change that the government's stance on Gaza has gone from seeking a "humanitarian pause" to the conflict to a "sustainable ceasefire" - we should take note of these small changes.Īt the weekend the foreign secretary, David Cameron, strengthened his language towards Israel saying they "will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of coexistence with Palestinians". By Serena Barker-Singh, political correspondent
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