Sir Sadiq Khan sparked anger from the Israeli Embassy on Thursday as it accused him of citing “Hamas propaganda” in a video he released to mark Eid.
The embassy claimed that the London mayor’s statistics about the number of Palestinians killed in the Israel-Gaza War were unreliable, because they came from the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
The criticism came despite the fact that the ministry’s figures are seen as reliable by the United Nations, and a recent study in the UK’s prestigious Lancet medical journal estimated that fatalities in Gaza are significantly higher than the number cited by Sir Sadiq.
International journalists are blocked by Israel from entering Gaza independently, so are unable to verify figures from either side.
Eid Mubarak! I want to extend my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Eid al-Fitr.
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) March 30, 2025
May your Eid be filled with peace, blessings and hope.pic.twitter.com/xoHIHRn777
In his social media clip marking Eid, the mayor acknowledged that Muslims’ joy at celebrating the end of Ramadan “will be tempered by the appalling suffering and killing that continues in Sudan and Palestine”.
He said: “More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel’s ongoing military campaign, including more than 15,000 children…
“These betrayals of humanity should weigh heavily on our collective conscience. But I’m proud that while the international community has chosen to avert its gaze, Londoners have not.”
The Israeli Embassy in London said of the mayor’s video: “The war is a result of the brutal and horrific attack by Hamas, a proscribed terror organisation in the UK, which was imposed on Israel on October 7 2023.
“It is alarming that throughout the message, there is no mention of Hamas or any condemnation of terrorism and a call for the release of 59 hostages that are being held in horrific and inhumane conditions.”
The embassy added: “The values that Mr Khan speaks of must not be applied selectively.”
In comments to the Times newspaper, the embassy complained that Sir Sadiq’s figures on Palestinian casualties came from “Hamas propaganda” and were “not based on facts”, adding that the group had “again tampered with the death toll” this week.
“Amid the alarming increase in antisemitic incidents in London and across the UK over the past 18 months, alongside the intimidating protests taking place outside places of worship, it is crucial that we all act with the utmost responsibility,” the embassy said.
City Hall firmly rejected the suggestion that the mayor was overstating the number of Palestinian fatalities, pointing to a study published in January in the Lancet medical journal, which estimated that 64,260 deaths occured in Gaza “due to traumatic injury” between October 7 2023 and June 30 2024 alone.
The Gaza Ministry of Health’s lower figure, of 50,021 Palestinians having been killed in the war thus far, was reported last month. That figure includes more than 15,000 children, the Hamas-run ministry has said.
A spokeswoman for Sir Sadiq told the Standard: “The mayor has repeatedly conveyed his outrage at attacks by Hamas on Israel and has strongly condemned these acts of terrorism.
“He is deeply saddened by the loss of all lives and continues to support calls for a permanent ceasefire.”
