Lord Cameron set for Israel visit as Rishi Sunak tells Benjamin Netanyahu now is ‘moment for calm heads’
Lord David Cameron is set to visit Israel on Wednesday, a day after Rishi Sunak told the country’s prime minister a “moment for calm heads to prevail” in the wake of Iran’s attack.
The foreign secretary will meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, foreign minister Israel Katz, and possibly war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, during his one-day visit, according to online reports.
One of his main messages will be the implementation of expanded humanitarian aid routes to Gaza, as well as a need to settle tensions with humanitarian aid groups, the Times of Israel reported.
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Cameron urges Israel not to escalate
Senior Palestinian Authority officials are also set to meet Lord Cameron in Ramallah.
It comes after Mr Sunak spoke with the Israeli prime minister Mr Netanyahu in the wake of Iran’s direct attack on Israel, when more than 300 drones and missiles were launched by Tehran.
Israel’s military displays what they say is an Iranian ballistic missile. Pic: Reuters
According to a readout of a phone call between the pair released by Downing Street, Mr Sunak also told Mr Netanyahu that “significant escalation was in no one’s interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East“.
Other key developments in the Middle East include:
• The Israel Defence Forces say they have “struck and eliminated” Hezbollah commander Ismail Yusaf Baz in the Ain Ebel area of Lebanon;
• The US believes Israel’s military is planning a “narrow and limited strike” inside Iran in response, a report says;
• The first pictures of downed Iranian rockets emerged, with the sheer size of them hinting that Iran’s intentions were more than symbolic;
• Russian President Vladimir Putin told the president of Iran he hoped all parties would show restraint and not allow further confrontation.
Mr Sunak told Mr Netanyahu “Iran had badly miscalculated and was increasingly isolated on the global stage, with the G7 coordinating a diplomatic response”.
A Downing Street spokesperson added: “He stressed that significant escalation was in no one’s interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. This was a moment for calm heads to prevail.”
Mr Sunak went on to say he wants to see “a massive step change in aid access to flood Gaza with vital supplies, including Israel opening up new aid routes as quickly as possible”.
The UK’s calls for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza comes after Lord Cameron accused Israel of delaying assistance getting in.
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Minister defends Iran policy
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Britain also condemned the alleged killing of Israeli teenager Binyamin Achimair in the occupied West Bank.
The foreign office said on Tuesday that the “killings, and subsequent actions, are escalating violence in the Occupied West Bank and the wider region at a critical time”.
It said it is vital that Israeli authorities restore calm and conduct urgent and transparent investigations into all deaths.
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The UN human rights office has also called on Israel’s security forces to immediately end their active participation in and support for attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The Israelis called the death of Mr Achimair a militant attack.
It comes as a senior administration official told CNN that the US has not been given any official information on what Israel’s plan is if they respond to Iran’s attack, but the country appeared to be considering a “narrow and limited strike” inside Iran.
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“We would hope that they would give us some warning so that we’re prepared to protect our personnel, not just military but diplomatic throughout the region,” the administration official told the American broadcaster.
“But there’s no guarantee they will give us a heads-up, and they know when they give us a heads-up we’re likely to again register our objection to whatever they’re about to conduct.”
The official added the US was “confident that there will be de-escalation” if Israel does not respond.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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