British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband held a first phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to press for immediate lifting of Gaza aid blockages and to demand action against escalating settler violence in the West Bank. The ministers also discussed Hamas disarmament, regional security concerns including Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the global fight against antisemitism. Miliband described the exchange as "frank and constructive" and reiterated UK support for a two-state solution.
Miliband Presses Israel's Sa’ar to Lift Gaza Aid Blockages and Curb West Bank Violence
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband addresses the media during a joint press conference with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares at the Palacio de Viana, Madrid, Spain. July 29, 2026. (photo credit: LEON NEAL/POOL VIA REUTERS)
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband used his first phone call with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Tuesday to press for unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza and to raise alarm over rising violence in the West Bank, according to a statement from Miliband's office.
The ministers also discussed the disarmament of Hamas, regional concerns about Iran, and the global rise in antisemitism. Miliband described the exchange as a "frank and constructive first call," and reiterated the UK government's support for a two-state solution that would deliver "a safe and secure State of Israel and a Palestinian State."
Humanitarian Access and West Bank Violence
Miliband highlighted what he called a "sharp escalation of settler violence and settlement expansion" in the West Bank and urged Israel to take stronger steps to halt that violence. He also pressed Sa'ar to remove blockages preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Minister of foreign affairs Gideon Saar attends the lobby for Israel–United States relations at the Knesset, Israel's Parliament in Jerusalem, February 25, 2026. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
"I said Israel must crack down on violence in the West Bank, and must immediately end blockages on aid into Gaza," Miliband said.
Security, Disarmament and Regional Concerns
Both ministers addressed the need for Hamas to give up its weapons and for steps toward an eventual Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) withdrawal where appropriate. Miliband said progress was necessary on US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to help secure that outcome.
The conversation also covered shared security challenges in the region, including Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The two officials agreed on the importance of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and on cooperating to counter antisemitism worldwide.
The call comes amid ongoing tensions between the UK and Israel over the future of the West Bank and the viability of a two-state solution. Earlier this year, Gideon Sa'ar publicly clashed with then-British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper at the United Nations Security Council after Cooper criticized Israeli policy in the West Bank.
Photo caption: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at the Knesset, Jerusalem, Feb. 25, 2026 (credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90).
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