By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider 

President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, attended Chatham House during his visit to the United Kingdom yesterday, in order to discuss his perspective on the conflict between Israel and Gaza. 

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has risen to epic proportions when earlier this week citizens of Gaza were asked to evacuate the city in order to fully infiltrate Hama headquarters. 

President Herzog explained in his discussion at Chatham house that it is essential that the safety and lives of the Israeli hostages are kept intact and this will be the key aspect to Israel agreeing to a ceasefire and to end the brooding conflict between the two nations. 

“I can attest to the fact because I am exposed to intelligence all the time, that Khaleel al-Khair whose hands are filled with thousands of Israeli on October 7, who is the head of Hamas who is sitting in Qatar he kept on refusing and or yes with a poison pill that looks like an endless slime, we want a deal and we want to finish the war and we are saying we are ready to exit the war with a full hostage deal and a ceasefire and for that you need Hamas to say yes,” said President Herzog in his opening remarks. 

President Herzog has expressed in his discussion that he intends on showing the other side of this war other than what is being presented in the media and has further expressed that without Hamas being able to agree to the deal in place then they have to be all means “remove” anyone who does not agree to the deal.

 “Hamas has its decision making process which requires consent, all you need is one person to say no and there is no deal and if you want to move on, you have to remove some of the people if they are not willing to get to a deal,” said Herzog.

 The mediator of the discussion, Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House Bronwen Maddox asked the Israeli President if he had any knowledge of the airstrikes on Qatar, to which he expressed that he indeed had no knowledge, stating that he was on the plane to England when this decision was made. 

President Herzog explained that his visit to England was to have a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to deliberate on the humanitarian issue in Gaza and to discuss whether or not Israel will commit to a ceasefire that would end the war. 

“A unilateral resolution regarding the Palestinian state would be adverse and negatively affect any future process because it will be dangerous, it won’t help one Palestinian, one hostage and can be adversely interpreted by Hamas,” said Herzog of his discussion with Prime Minister Starmer. 

Maddox further probed the Israeli President on the issue of famine that has plagued the people of Gaza, and has expressed that Israel’s prevention of aid and food into the West Bank is the cause of this manmade disaster.

 “In the last six to eight weeks there has been a major overhaul and major change, and we reject the notion that there is now any famine, on the contrary huge amount of produce is going in, in huge amounts of trucks, tons of food, airdrops, water supplies, electricity, medical supplies, free market supplies and so forth and so on there’s a major reduction in the cost of food, and supplies of food have gone all over Gaza,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

 Herzog further explained that Hamas has been taking the food supplies in Gaza and has been profiteering off them, through looting the supplies. 

Three weeks ago the World Health Organization (WHO) have reported that more than half a million people are trapped in Famine which is verified according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and the famine is expected to spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the weeks following.

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and WHO have all collectively expressed the urgency of a humanitarian response for Gaza in order to provide aid to civilians suffering from this famine and the war. 

According to WHO by the end of this month more than 640,000 people will be without secure food supply, which would be classified at IPC Phase 5, in the Gaza Strip. An additional 1.14 million people will be under emergency conditions which is classified at IPC Phase 4 and a further 396,000 people will be in crisis which is classified at IPC Phase 3.

Several leaders and heads from across the globe have outwardly expressed their disdain towards Herzog’s visit to the UK and wonder if this is indeed a call for accountability from the UK or an attempt to “whitewash” the conflict. 

“Herzog is suspected of bearing criminal liability for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, and actions that constitute plausible genocide”, said the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). 

“British politicians have failed to defend the Palestinians and champion the rule of law. There is now an opportunity for the courts to intervene” said Ismail Patel, Chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa. “Every official, no matter how senior, must be held accountable for attacks on civilians”.

 “This visit is a test of leadership and principle: polite handshakes and warm words will demonstrate neither. The UK will be judged on whether it took strong action against Genocide, or helped to whitewash it” said Head of Amnesty International UK, Sacha Deshmukh. 

“Welcoming a potential war criminal to UK is another demonstration of how this labour government is implicated in the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” said Green Party leader Zach Polanski.