Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said calling for a ceasefire is “understandable”, but Israel is “taking action to secure its own stability”.

Speaking to reporters from the foreign ministers preparatory meeting in Riyadh ahead of the emergency Arab League summit for Gaza, he said: “The UK has long been committed to a two-state solution, the Israelis and the Palestinians living side by side in peace.

“The terrible circumstances that we are seeing, triggered by the brutal terrorist attacks on the seventh of October, remind us that we need to redouble our efforts to bring about that peaceful two-state solution. 

“I’ve discussed that at length with my friends in the Arab world, also with the Israelis, and recently in the G7 meeting in Tokyo.

“What we have said is that calling for a ceasefire is understandable, but what we also recognise is that Israel is taking action to secure its own stability and its own security. Of course, we want to see this terrible situation resolved as quickly as possible.

“The immediate challenge is the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza. That’s why we are focusing on that.

“Of course, what we want to do is we want to see, as quickly as possible, a move to a situation where there is peace in the region, where Israel feels safe and secure, and the Palestinian people have a meaningful route to a sustainable Palestinian state.”