Hamas will not respect calls for a ceasefire, says James Cleverly

18 Oct 2023 • 9:31 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Hamas will not respect calls for a ceasefire, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said.

Speaking in parliament today on the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Mr Cleverly said: “Of course, everybody - I rephrase that - all reasonable people, want this terrible situation to be resolved and resolved quickly.

“This was not a conflict that Israel asked for, it is a conflict that they were forced to engage in because of the mass murder in their country perpetrated by Hamas terrorists. Terrorists who embed themselves in schools, in hospitals, and in civilian communities.

“Calls for ceasefires are all well and good, but I have seen nothing, nothing, which leads me to believe that Hamas would respect calls for a ceasefire.”