How many times can world leaders call Gaza scenes 'unacceptable'?
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As people continue to be killed waiting for food and aid in Gaza, the UK has joined a new international call for Israel to end the war. But will this fall on deaf ears – like every time before?
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In brief:
- The UK is among 27 countries to issue a new call on Israel to stop the war in Gaza, but as the death toll continues to rise, is it time for more than stern words from world leaders?
- Journalist and academic Dr Ayala Panievsky says the timing of this is poor, as Israel’s parliament is due to go on summer recess next week, and calls on the international community to put more pressure on Israel to end the war.
- The News Agents say Lammy’s words echo those of Keir Starmer in early June, when he made almost identical calls on Israel, which went unheeded.
What’s the story?
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to access food supplies, many shot by IDF soldiers, as starvation claims more lives in war-torn Gaza.
Food and essential supplies are only allowed into Gaza through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-based organisation set up in February 2025, which the United Nations – and other groups – refuse to work with due to allegations of weaponising aid, and distributing it in an unsafe manner which has resulted in many of the deaths at its distribution centres.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims any other food delivered to Gaza will be stolen by Hamas operatives and sold on to civilians at hugely inflated rates.
He recently appeared on a podcast speaking about his favourite takeaway burgers, in a moment described by The News Agents as “obscene” as millions face starvation just across the Israel border.
In June 2024, a UNICEF spokesperson told The News Agents that looting of aid trucks was happening – but said it was more likely to be done by starving people, rather than organised terrorists.
The message from inside Gaza is stark: People are desperate, and they are dying – but is anyone listening?
The UK is among 27 countries which has issued new calls for Israel to end the war in Gaza, condemning it for depriving its people of "human dignity", echoing many previous calls since the war began after the October 7 Hamas attack, which have fallen on deaf ears.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told LBC the UK had stood against potential war crimes in Gaza through stopping some arms sales to Israel and imposing sanctions against various individuals. He added the UK will go further if necessary.
Will the new calls for Israel to end the war fall on deaf ears?
The word David Lammy has used today to describe the situation in Gaza is “unsustainable”.
And that’s given The News Agents a sense of deja vu.
“In June, Keir Starmer talked about the situation in Gaza being 'intolerable' – and yet somehow he, and other world leaders, have found that they could tolerate it,” says Emily Maitlis.
“Nothing has changed. There has been no extra pressure on the Netanyahu government that seems to have made a blind bit of difference.”
She says she felt a sense of “desperation” from Lammy as he spoke to the media about the new calls on Israel.
Dr Ayala Panievsky, a research fellow working in both the UK and Israel, tells The News Agents she believes Lammy’s words will have no effect on Netanyahu – largely due to poor timing, coming just one week before the Israeli parliament takes an extended summer break.
“He has to hold one more week, and then the parliament goes on summer recess, and then for three months, there is even less parliamentary scrutiny over the Netanyahu government,” Dr Panievsky says.
“The government keeps working as usual, but parliament is on summer recess. This means that until October, Netanyahu can do more or less whatever he wants.”
Dr Ayala Panievsky on Israel-Gaza: 'The global media could have handled this better'
What other pressure does Netanyahu face?
Dr Panievsky says the real pressure on Netanyahu right now is coming from inside Israel – with a fierce divide among his coalition government over military exemption for some Orthodox Jews threatening to destroy the government – adding she believes there should be much more pressure from overseas.
“International institutions and certain individuals try to put pressure on this government, we actually could have seen much more coming this way,” Dr Panievsky adds.
And she’s not just talking about governments and politicians – she believes the global media community should have done more to get inside Gaza. Israel has banned all international journalists from entering the country since war began.
“The BBC, The New York Times – all these big journalistic enterprises – haven't collaborated, and gone to the Israeli Government and said: 'We need to get in to see what's happening in Gaza. You cannot just shut down a piece of land for two years and not allow us to report from there’,” she says.
“The global media could have handled this situation better and not wait until we see journalists literally dying.”
“There is a lot more to do, both in terms of governments, but even inside the media industry and the journalistic community.”
Around 200 journalists and other media workers have reportedly been killed by IDF forces inside Gaza.
Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.
