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‘I’ll always stand by Israel’ Sunak tells CFI event

Tory Party rolled out 20 Cabinet members – including the PM – for the lunch

January 22, 2024 15:38
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ByDavid Rose, David Rose

3 min read

Rishi Sunak has repeated his calls for a “sustainable ceasefire” and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, along with talks aimed at forging two states, but made clear that before they could happen, Hamas must release all its hostages and be removed from power.

The prime minister made his remarks in his keynote speech at the annual lunch hosted on Monday by Conservative Friends of Israel in front of no fewer than 19 of his Cabinet colleagues. The audience included former British PMs Liz Truss and Boris Johnson; their Israeli counterpart, Ehud Barak; Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and the families of four of the hostages still being held by the terrorists in Gaza.

Rishi Sunak meets hostage families Shai Dolev

The only members of the Cabinet not present were Scottish Secretary Allister Jack, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and First Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott. The JC understands that the absent ministers also wished to attend, but had unavoidable commitments elsewhere.

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