Bombing of refugee camp 'reality of war with Hamas', says cabinet minister

The bombing of a refugee camp in Gaza is the “reality” of war with Hamas and Israel is operating within international law, a cabinet minister has said.

Oliver Dowden defended the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) after they admitted striking apartment buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp on Tuesday.

The IDF said it targeted and killed a Hamas commander named Ibrahim Biari, but hospital officials said more than 50 Palestinians were also killed as a result of the blast.

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Asked if Israel might have broken international law, Mr Dowden told Sky News: “This is the reality of the conflict with an organisation like Hamas.

“Hamas is a terrorist organisation that has murdered in cold blood over 1,000 innocent Israeli men, women and children, and now seeks to hide amongst the civilian population. This is a very difficult conflict.

“We continue to urge the Israeli government to abide by international law. I believe that the Israeli government is continuing to do so against an enemy that hides among civilians.

“It is the terrible nature of this appalling conflict.”

The IDF said Biari was one of the leaders of the massacres in Israel earlier last month and had also been the “main leader” of Hamas’s combat operations since Israeli forces entered Gaza.

Since the Hamas attacks on 7 October, Israel has launched a bombing campaign and blockaded essential services from getting into Gaza, on top of a ground offensive aimed at wiping out the militant group.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the IDF, told Sky News civilian casualties are “truly tragic” but Hamas “needs to be taken out”.

“We are determined to destroy Hamas and dismantle their regime,” he said. “We need to ask how many people they are willing to sacrifice.”

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There have been widespread calls for a ceasefire to prevent the humanitarian crisis from spiralling in Gaza, with hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathering at Liverpool Street station last night to make that demand.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the death toll among Palestinians since the conflict began has passed 8,000.

The UK government’s position is for there to be “pauses” in the fighting so aid can get into the 25-mile strip and British nationals can escape.

This is also the official Labour party position – though Sir Keir Starmer has had to repeatedly defend his stance as senior Labour figures increasingly break ranks.

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Former shadow minister Fabian Hamilton was the latest MP to call for a ceasefire today, saying the “continued bombing of civilian targets in Gaza… raises serious questions about international law”.

It comes as the Rafah border crossing into Egypt is expected to finally open to allow foreign nationals to leave Gaza, and for more aid to get in.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said UK border teams “are ready to assist British nationals as soon as they are able to leave”.

“It’s vital that lifesaving humanitarian aid can enter Gaza as quickly as possible,” he said.

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