Cameron defends Israel’s right to self-defense, urges restraint

British Prime Minister David Cameron says he continues to support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas missiles, but expresses “grave concern” over the “very disturbing” number of civilian casualties, calling on Israel to exercise restraint.

“This crisis was triggered by Hamas raining hundreds of rockets on Israeli cities, indiscriminately targeting civilians in contravention of all humanitarian law and norms,” Cameron says in the House of Commons. “This unprecedented barrage continues to this moment, with Hamas rejecting all proposals for a ceasefire.”

Hamas needs to enter serious negotiations to end this crisis, Cameron says, urging the group to “to engage with” the Egyptian ceasefire proposal, which it had previously rejected.

Cameron says that he has been clear throughout Operation Protective Edge that Israel has the right to defend itself. “Those criticizing Israel’s response must ask themselves how they would expect their own government to react if hundreds of rockets were raining down on British cities today,” he says. However, Cameron says that he shares the “grave concern” many in the international community have about the “heavy toll” of civilian casualties. “The figures are very disturbing,” he says.

Recalling his phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday evening, he says he reiterated London’s recognition of Israel’s right to take “proportionate action” to defend itself, and repeated its condemnation of Hamas’s refusal to end their rocket fire, despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire.

“But I urged him to do everything to avoid civilian casualties, to exercise restraint and to help find ways to bring this situation to an end,” Cameron says.

After the situation calms down, London wishes to see the Palestinian Authority back in Gaza, he says.

— Raphael Ahren