SUNAK ARRIVES IN ISRAEL AS BIDEN LEAVES WITH BOTH LEADERS CONDEMNING HAMAS FOR WAR CRIMES AND MANY ATROCITIES

 UK PM Rishi Sunak has held talks with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv and is expected to visit other countries in the region

On arrival, he condemned the "horrific act of terrorism" by Hamas on 7 October, and said the UK stands with Israel

Israel's military says it hit hundreds of sites in Gaza over the past 24 hours, targeting "Hamas infrastructure"

Gaza remains under siege, with Israel blocking cross-border supplies of water, electricity, and fuel

But the US and Egypt say lorries providing aid should start crossing from Egypt into Gaza on Friday

Joe Biden is back in the US - his short visit to Israel was overshadowed by a blast at a Gaza hospital, which local officials say killed 471 people, a figure contested by Israel

Palestinian authorities say an Israeli air strike was to blame - but Israel insists the blast was caused by a misfired rocket from Gaza.

Following on from that picture of Sunak and Netanyahu, a Downing Street spokesperson has also provided details of Sunak's earlier meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Sunak reiterated that the UK stands with Israel and "firmly believes in the country’s right to self-defence in line with international law".

The statement said that Sunak and Herzog "agreed on the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support to ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are also suffering".

Sunak meets Netanyahu

We've just had this picture, from the UK government, of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel this morning, arriving in Tel Aviv at about 09:00 local time.

He's already met Israeli President Isaac Herzog - and photos are now coming in of him meeting families of those who have been taken hostage.

He will later meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As he arrived, Sunak pledged to stand with Israel and said Israelis had suffered a "horrific act of terrorism". He is also expected to use the trip to press for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Upon arriving in Tel Aviv, Rishi Sunak told reporters the Hamas attacks on 7 October were an "unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism", and reiterated that the UK stood with Israel.

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FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67141589