Gaza war: Online spat erupts between UK and Israel as EU, US pile pressure for ceasefire

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has accused Israel of deliberately blocking aid supplies to Gaza by erecting procedural barriers. The spat reportedly resulted in the suspension of a British-born spokesperson of Israel who had disputed Cameron’s claims on social media. Cameron earlier lambasted Israel in a blistering letter, writing that aid was not flowing into Gaza due to “arbitrary denials by the government of Israel and lengthy clearance procedures, including multiple screenings and narrow opening windows in daylight hours”.

Earlier, spokesperson Eylon Levy had written, "I hope you are also aware there are NO limits on the entry of food, water, medicine, or shelter equipment into Gaza, and in fact the crossings have EXCESS capacity," in a now-deleted post on X made on March 8.

Two days earlier, he had written another post criticising Cameron after meeting an Israeli minister in London. Levy was suspended shortly after Cameron shot the letter to the Israeli foreign ministry.

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EU and US pile pressure on Israel

Meanwhile, in a major setback for Israel, the European Union (EU) leaders on Thursday (Mar 21) called for an “immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza. The move came hours ahead of a key UN resolution to be tabled by the US calling for a truce and a hostage deal amid fears of a looming famine.

The UN resolution will be moved on Friday early morning.

The voting will happen as chiefs of the spy agencies Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Mossad will meet in Qatar. William Burns and David Barnea are expected to meet Friday in the hope of clinching an elusive truce-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas. Speaking in Egypt, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said difficult work remained to be done but added: “I continue to believe it’s possible.”

Shift in US language

The Friday UN resolution would be the first time the US is pressing for an “immediate ceasefire”. According to an EU diplomat quoted as saying by the Guardian, the harder language by the US may have forced the EU, especially nations like Austria and the Czech Republic, to adopt a clearer approach towards the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Watch:Israel war: US unveils draft UNSC resolution for immediate Gaza ceasefire

“This resolution is an opportunity for the council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure Hamas to accept the deal on the table,” said the US mission spokesperson at the UN Nate Evans.

(With inputs from agencies)