British intelligence is working rapidly to independently establish who was behind the blast in a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians, Rishi Sunak has said.
The Prime Minister urged MPs not to “rush to judgment” on Wednesday as Israel and Hamas issued rival claims about the atrocity feared to have killed at least 500 at al Ahli.
Visiting Tel Aviv, US President Joe Biden sided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by telling him it “appears as though it was done by the other team, not you”.
But Mr Sunak told the House of Commons that he was unable to reveal the UK verdict after holding talks with the National Security Adviser and the Joint Intelligence Committee.
“We should not rush to judgment before we have all the facts on this awful situation,” he told Prime Minister’s Questions.
“Every member will know that the words we say here have an impact beyond the House.
“Our intelligence services have been rapidly analysing the evidence to independently establish the facts. We are not in a position at this point to say more than that.”
Mr Sunak declined to back calls from more than 40 MPs for a ceasefire so that the release of hostages could be secured, international law could be upheld and medical supplies, food, fuel, electricity and water could be given to the Palestinian people.
Instead he said that Israel had a “right to defend itself, to protect its people and to act against terrorism and ensure that the awful attack we’ve seen from Hamas cannot happen again”.
Mr Sunak said the UK was continuing to press to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and was “working around the clock” to free the hostages taken by Hamas. He was meeting on Wednesday with the family of one of those captured.
At least seven British nationals, including 13-year-old Yahel Sharabi, were killed in the militant group’s atrocity in Israel on October 7.
Downing Street said that nine UK nationals remain missing, with some of those feared dead, while others could be among the hostages.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Sunak does not think it is the right time for a ceasefire, as Israel is working to “recover hostages who have been seized by a terrorist organisation”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the UK must do everything to prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe” by pressing for medicines, food, fuel and water to get into Gaza immediately.
“International law must always be followed, Hamas are not the Palestinian people and the Palestinian people are not Hamas,” he said, after some in Labour raised concerns that his support for Israel’s response had been too absolute.
Hamas said an Israeli air strike led to the devastation at the al Ahli hospital, with Gaza health officials saying it killed at least 500 people.
But the Israeli military blamed a misfiring rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group and released imagery and communications intercepts aimed at supporting their case.
Mr Biden gave an initial assessment as he visited Mr Netanyahu in a show of support on Wednesday.
I think these words really matter - I don’t want to make things worse by misattributing before that evidence is pulled together— Defence Secretary Grant Shapps
“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” the US President said.
Mr Biden’s visit to the region originally included a trip to Jordan for face-to-face talks with King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas but that leg of the tour was cancelled following the hospital tragedy.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said “we take note of what President Biden has said” but the UK is working to come to a “definitive conclusion for ourselves”.
He called for “cool heads” as he responded to an urgent question in the Commons and said any opportunity of an independent investigation going into Gaza would be “extremely limited”.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stressed that misattributing responsibility for the blast could “make things worse” as he was questioned over the difference in position between the UK and Mr Biden.
Mr Shapps told broadcasters during a visit to Washington DC that “we don’t yet know” who was behind the blast, saying: “I think it’s really important that we give them the opportunity to gather those facts so we don’t jump to conclusions.”
Asked about Mr Biden’s firmer assessment that Israel appeared not to be to blame, Mr Shapps said: “I think these words really matter – I don’t want to make things worse by misattributing before that evidence is pulled together.
“It’s very early days, you do tend to get a lot of literally fog of war in these things, we all know that it is possible that a rocket may have misfired and we’ve seen and heard those reports.”
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf said the blast was a “complete and utter human tragedy” and called for an independent investigation into who bears responsibility.
“I think everybody has a responsibility to condemn it and condemn it in the strongest possible way,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“It’s a complete breach of international law – the targeting of a hospital.”
Mr Yousaf said that on Tuesday an Israeli missile hit a house across the road from his mother-in-law and father-in-law’s house in Gaza. He said it “shattered every window … broke all the mirrors and gave them a real fright”.
Irish Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin called for a ceasefire and reiterated a call for humanitarian aid corridors to be opened into the Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of Palestinians had taken refuge at al Ahli and other hospitals in Gaza City in the past few days, hoping to be spared bombardment after Israel ordered all residents to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip.
The hospital was run by the Anglican church – and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby renewed his appeal for civilians to be protected in the “devastating war”.
Before the hospital blast, Mr Sunak was understood to be keen on travelling to Israel – following trips by Germany’s Olaf Scholz and Mr Biden – with reports suggesting he could go as soon as Thursday.
Downing Street would not comment publicly on the Prime Minister’s travel plans.
