Israel has not ‘gone too far’, insists Oliver Dowden

Israel is not going “too far” with its assault on Gaza, the Deputy Prime Minister has said.

Oliver Dowden said the UK continues to support Israel’s “right to self-defence” as it deals with a “very difficult situation”.

But he stressed it is important to “exercise restraint” to minimise civilian casualties.

It comes as Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has called for a “sustainable” ceasefire in Gaza in a marked shift of tone towards the war.

On Sunday, Mr Dowden said this would be contingent on removing the “threat of Hamas” in Israel and “indeed the wider Middle East”.

“The difference between those calling for a ceasefire now and the position of the UK Government is that ceasefire can’t be sustainable till we’ve dealt with Hamas”, he said.

‘Israel must exercise restraint’

He denied the hardening of language was triggered by a belief Israel has gone “too far” with its response to the Oct 7 attacks, with Joe Biden, the US president, warning last week it was “losing support” from allies over the thousands killed in Gaza.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Dowden said: “I wouldn’t characterise it as Israel going too far. Israel is dealing with a very difficult situation.

“I think it’s really important for your viewers to remember this – not only the scale of the atrocity that was committed against Israel, but if you’re going after an enemy that literally hides underneath hospitals, hides amongst the civilian population, you are going to sustain high levels of civilian casualties.”

He added: “What we as a UK Government is saying is, Israel, you do need to exercise restraint.”

In a joint article in The Sunday Times with Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, Lord Cameron called for “peace lasting for days, years, generations,” adding that “too many civilians have been killed”.

“Only extremists like Hamas want us stuck in an endless cycle of violence, sacrificing more innocent lives for their fanatical ideology,” they wrote.

“But our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable.”

Asked what this meant, Mr Dowden said: “Well, in order for a ceasefire to be sustainable, we have to ensure that we remove the threat of Hamas from Israel and indeed the wider Middle East – and you saw what happened on that terrible day on October 7 when Hamas were able to penetrate the border of Israel and indiscriminately murder 1,400 men, women and children, and until we deal with that, any ceasefire will not ultimately be sustainable.

“So that’s why we continue to support Israel in its right to self-defence, to remove the threat of Hamas and at the same time to get those hostages back. Those are the two things that ensure that we have a sustainable ceasefire.”

Lord Cameron ‘absolutely right’

Mr Dowden said “we always knew” it would be a “difficult conflict” in Gaza.

But he said: “Nonetheless, we do continue to urge restraint, abiding with international law, and at the same time, on this wider ceasefire point, we’re trying to ensure that we get as long a period to the pauses in hostility to allow that aid in.”

Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said Lord Cameron was “absolutely right” to call for a sustainable ceasefire.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, he said: “The question isn’t whether any of us want a ceasefire, of course people want to see a ceasefire, an end to this bloody conflict.”

He said there have been “intolerable losses” in Gaza, adding: “The question is how do you get from where we are today to where we want to be.

“I think David Cameron talked about a sustainable ceasefire and I think that’s absolutely right.”

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