'The British government's policy will not help the hostages, and could even hurt them'

HEARTBROKEN relatives of hostages held by Hamas have hit out at Sir Keir Starmer for leaving those still held captive to “rot” in terrorist dungeons.

- By Michael Knowles and Marco Giannangeli

Four families declared the Prime Minister's plan to recognise a Palestinian state will fail to secure peace. Ayelet Svatitzky, whose mother was held captive and brothers were killed, told Foreign Office diplomats “this is a prize for Hamas for the murder of my two brothers”.

The families urged Sir Keir to make the recognition of a Palestinian state conditional on hostage release.

In an emotional statement yesterday their lawyers declared after a meeting on Thursday: “It was clear from the meeting that the British government's policy will not help the hostages, and could even hurt them.

“It was made obvious to us although the conditions for recognising a Palestinian state would be assessed ‘in the round’ in late-September, in deciding whether to go ahead with recognition, the release or otherwise of the hostages would play no part.

“The ‘vision for peace’ which the UK is pursuing, and which the families heard much about, may well involve our clients’ family members continuing to rot in Hamas dungeons.

Angry