Israeli PM's 'completely lost it,' says Labour MP

Thornberry: Fury was undiplomatic Lammy: World is deeply offended

- ASHLEY COWBURN

BENJAMIN Netanyahu's furious rant over Keir Starmer's announcement that Britain would recognise Palestine was over the top, Dame Emily Thornberry said.

Labour's chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee accused the Israeli leader of lacking diplomacy after the PM warned he must end the slaughter in Gaza, which is on the brink of a famine due to aid blockades.

Netanyahu had said: "Starmer rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails."

But Mr Starmer's demands had also included Hamas releasing all hostages and laying down its arms. Ms Thornberry was asked if there was a danger of the UK's "irrelevance" being exposed if Netanyahu ignores the ultimatum.

She replied: "If we're completely irrelevant, why has Netanyahu completely lost it overnight? It's not exactly a considered, careful, diplomatic statement, really. It's a furious statement. We are long-term allies, we remain long-term allies, but not with this far-right [Israeli] government, not with the way that it is behaving.

"The Israeli people, who are led by a government that is not doing what they want... they want peace."

The row comes after Mr Starmer warned Israel that Britain would recognise Palestine as a state in September unless Netanyahu calls a ceasefire and lets the UN restore full aid distribution to hungry Gazans.

Many have been shot dead while queueing for food but Israel denies its troops are behind the killings, insisting they have only ever fired warning shots at the desperate crowds.

Images of emaciated children have shocked millions. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he hoped the UK's shift to recognise Palestine will "affect the situation on the ground".