Distraught relatives of Israeli hostages accuse David Lammy of giving ‘terrorism more space to breathe’
Hostage family members took to Labour conference to plead with ministers to do more to bring their loved ones home
DISTRAUGHT relatives of Israeli hostages today accused David Lammy of giving “terrorism space to breathe”.
At Labour Party conference in Liverpool family members of captives criticised the Foreign Secretary for partially suspending arms sales to Jerusalem.
And they slammed the decision of ministers to unconditionally resume funding to the United Nations aid agency for Gaza, UNRWA.
The UN fired nine UNRWA staff after concluding they may have been involved in the October 7 terror attacks.
In January Rishi Sunak paused payments to the agency but they were resumed by Mr Lammy in July.
At a Labour Friends of Israel fringe event, Ilay Yosef David, whose brother Eviatar David has been trapped in Gaza terror dungeons for 352 days, said: “I know now that Britain is paying money again to UNRWA.
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“Workers of UNRWA killed and kidnapped people from Israel and some of them put hostages in their homes.
“The stopping of some ammunition to Israel and not cutting enough weapons to Qatar – I think it’s bad for the struggle.
“It gives terrorism more space to breathe.”
London-based Sharon Lifschitz, whose elderly father remains hostage in Gaza, said: “I have a profound problem with just returning the responsibility to UNRWA… without saying we realise UNRWA is part of the problem and we need to either totally reform it or find an alternative.”
In his keynote conference speech Mr Lammy insisted that restoring millions in funding for the UN agency shows “Britain is back”.
The Foreign Secretary said: “We have respected the independence of the international courts.
“And we have made the right decisions to stand up for international law.
“I believe in the right of Israel to be safe and secure.
“And I also believe in the justness of the Palestinian cause.”