As the Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip continues, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday, where he held discussions with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu told Sunak, during a press conference following a discussion session that brought them together, that the Gaza war will be long and Israel needs continued support from the United Kingdom.

He said, "The war against Hamas is not the battle of Israel alone, but of the entire world... and the world must unite to eliminate Hamas." He stressed, "We will not back down. We will defeat Hamas and release the hostages. Our people are united and ready to do whatever is necessary in the face of terrorism."

For his part, Sunak said: “We regret the horrific scenes and difficult moments that Israel is going through... and we support Israel’s right to defend itself.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to his Israeli counterpart that Britain would stand by Israel in its "darkest hour" and welcomed the decision to allow aid into Gaza, saying that Israel was doing its best to reduce civilian deaths. Sunak stressed that "Britain will continue to cooperate with Israel to release the hostages."

During his meeting with the Israeli President, Sunak said: “It is important to provide water, food and medicine to civilians in Gaza,” stressing: “The Palestinian people are a victim of the practices of the Hamas movement.” While the Israeli President expressed his country’s desire to return the hostages, “We demand greater international pressure on Hamas,” he said.

Soon after his arrival in Tel Aviv, Sunak said: “We stand with Israel.” He addressed the Israelis by saying: “I share your grief and stand with you in the face of terrorism.”