Clamour for aid, ceasefire as protests grow in region

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak offered Israeli President Isaac Herzog his country's solidarity on Thursday, while also calling for humanitarian access to Gaza after the attack by Hamas, while Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russia's foreign minister urging restraint, with the former calling for a ceasefire to stop the war from expanding.

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The calls from the three leaders came as Egypt agreed to reopen its border crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow aid to reach Palestinians, the US said, as the humanitarian crisis worsened for the 2.3 million people trapped in the enclave and anti Israel protests flared across the Middle East.

"We will stand with you in solidarity with your people and your right to defend yourself, to bring security back to your country to your people, to ensure the safe return of the hostages that have been taken," Sunak said in a televised part of the meeting with Herzog.

"Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It's important that we continue to provide humanitarian access." The calls for a ceasefire from the Chinese leader and the comments by Russian minister are in line with their countries' stand, which has differed from the West's, although their calls for more effort to stop the violence from escalating into a wider conflict has been echoed by some other nations in Europe.