'Britain must do more' in Gaza and act NOW to end starvation and slaughter, MPs demand

Britain must do more to stop the Gaza slaughter and starvation, a powerful group of MPs declared last night.

As well as no longer ignoring the UK over Gaza, Israel must “immediately” recognise Palestine and close down the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The UK’s actions over Gaza “have often been too little, too late", the cross-party group said, as its new report demanded tougher sanctions "against settlers" across the West Bank.

It comes amid fears malnutrition and starvation is ripping through the entire Gaza Strip, threatening famine will grip its population. More than 170 charities and NGOs have already called for GHF to be shut down over its chaotic take-over of aid-distribution from long-standing aid providers to Gaza’s population. It follows claims of hundreds of deaths and injuries at aid stations around Gaza, although GHF has denied this happened at their sites.

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Since war broke out, food shortages, a recent blockade and aid delivery chaos has led to 113 malnutrition deaths, including among 81 children, according to local officials. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to fulfil Labour's promise to recognise Palestine as the conflict in Gaza continues to rage.

A "majority" of MPs on the committee have also backed the report, according to the chairwoman, Dame Emily Thornberry. Announcing the report the committee said: "The UK's actions in this conflict, and in the years preceding, have often been too little too late.”

It is claimed that since the war was sparked by a Hamas-run attack on southern Israel which killed 1,200 and kidnapped 251, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed. The MPs said that "some of Israel's recent actions in Gaza are difficult to justify given the death toll among civilians" and pressure should be put on Tel Aviv "for this conflict to end and for hostages to be released".

"It seems that the Israeli government is not listening to the UK. And while it listens to the US government, it only does so sporadically. If Israel does not listen to its friends and allies, and only sporadically to the US, then pressure must be exerted for this conflict to end and hostages to be released."

Dame Emily Thornberry has said the Government "must not shrug our shoulders in despair and say that there is nothing we can do.” She called on ministers to "immediately extend sanctions against settlers" and said that the UK "must also play our part in evidence collection, which will be vital to the inevitable legal reckoning when this conflict finally comes to an end".

She said that the UK "must be realistic about our role" and "our greatest power is in our alliances. Whether that is persuading the US to have an influence on Israel to come to a ceasefire, or with nations in the region whose support will be vital to a long-term two-state solution." She added: "It is the view of the majority of the committee that the UK Governmentshould immediately recognise the state of Palestine, signalling the UK's desire to work urgently towards a two-state solution alongside our allies."

It comes as there are increasing starvation warnings in Gaza. On Thursday the BBC joined other news organisations in saying that they are "deeply alarmed" that journalists are facing "the threat of starvation". A Cabinet minister said the Government is "deeply committed" to recognising a Palestinian state.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said such a move would have to be meaningful and come as part of a "genuine move towards a two state solutiona long-term peace settlement" with Israel. Mr Reynolds told LBC Radio: "We are deeply committed to the recognition of Palestine as a state, which was part of our manifesto, but obviously we want that to be meaningful.”

The starvation deaths were revealed as the conflict edged towards the ceasefire demanded by governments worldwide. Israel says it has received Hamas's latest ceasefire proposal, with one official calling it "workable", although no details were confirmed.

Hamasconfirmed sending a response to mediators early on Thursday. The deal is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce.

Israel said it was reviewing Hamas's response. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed receipt of the Hamas reply on Thursday but did not specify what it entailed. The offer came a day after more than 100 charity and human rights groups said Israel's blockade and military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip towards starvation.

Experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and the offensive launched in response to Hamas's attack on October 7 2023. Gaza's Health Ministry said 48 Palestinians have died of malnutrition in the past month, adding that 59 Palestinians died of malnutrition so far in 2025, up from 50 in 2024, and four in 2023 when Israel started its war against Hamas.

In the most recent cases, a man and a woman died of malnutrition on Wednesday, the Shifa Hospital told reporters. Of the 113 that died of malnutrition in Gaza since 2023, 81 were children, the health ministry said.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Europe to meet key leaders from the Middle East to discuss the latest ceasefire proposal and the release of hostages. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The count does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. At least five Palestinians were killed in central Gaza late on Wednesday, according to the Aqsa Hospital morgue that received the bodies on Thursday in the city of Deir al-Balah.

Two people, a man and a woman, were killed east of the city in Israeli tank shelling. Another person was killed by Israeli troops in a shooting in the Bureij refugee camp, and two others were among a group of people hit by an Israeli strike in Zawaida.

Elsewhere, Palestinian health officials said on Thursday two Palestinian teenage boys had been killed by Israeli fire on Wednesday night in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel's military said its forces fired at Palestinians throwing petrol bombs towards a major road, killing two near the town of Al-Khader.

Palestinian health officials named the teenagers killed as Ahmed Al-Salah, 15, and Mohammed Khaled Alian Issa, 17. Violence has spiralled in the occupied West Bank since the war in Gaza began. More than 955 Palestinians have been killed there by Israeli fire during that time, according to the United Nations, many during raids Israel says are to stamp out militancy.