New foreign secretary David Cameron has previously called Gaza “a prison camp” and has criticised Israel’s ”illegal” settlements in Palestinian territory.
On a visit to Turkey in 2010 the former Conservative prime minister said: “Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.”
Rishi Sunak’s shock appointment of Mr Cameron – who left No 10 seven years ago after losing the Brexit referendum – marks an astonishing political comeback.
His arrival at the Foreign Office comes as Mr Sunak attempts a last-ditch attempt to avoid a thumping loss at next year’s general election.
But Lord Cameron’s “prison camp” comments could prove incendiary as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza continues to ramp up.
The UK government has strongly backed Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas militants killed 1400 people – and took hundreds of hostages – in an attack at the start of October.
Mr Sunak has called for “humanitarian pauses” in the conflict to let in aid, but, alongside counties like the US, has stopped short of calling for a full ceasefire.
In 2010 on a visit to Turkey Mr Cameron criticised Tel Aviv and called on Israel to relax its restrictions on Gaza.
David Cameron (right) meets Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu at No 10 back in 2011
“The situation in Gaza has to change,” he said. “Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.”
His comments were made in a speech to business leaders in Ankara. They prompted the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to issue another strong condemnation of Israel’s approach to Palestine.
Later that same trip Mr Cameron added: “My description of Gaza is something I said in the House of Commons several weeks ago. Perhaps this is final proof that if you want to keep something completely secret you should announce it in the House of Commons.”
At that stage he was reported as saying: “Everybody knows that we are not going to sort out the problem of the Middle East peace process while there is, effectively, a giant open prison in Gaza.”
David Cameron talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas during trip to Middle East in 2014
Mr Cameron has also described himself as “well-known as being a strong friend of Israel”.
But in 2016, while still prime minister, he added: “What this government has consistently done and gone on doing is saying yes, we are supporters of Israel, but we do not support illegal settlements.”
Mr Cameron added: “We do not support what is happening in East Jerusalem and it’s very important that this capital city is maintained in the way that it was in the past.”
Former foreign secretary James Cleverly has been made home secretary after Suella Braverman was sacked by Mr Sunak over her unauthorised op-ed accusing the police of bias in handling pro-Palestinian protests.
