UK premier says he hopes for peace in Middle East at Christmas

LONDON

The British prime minister on Tuesday expressed hope for peace in the Middle East and a "brighter future for every person" this Christmas.

"This Christmas, I will be hoping for peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story," Keir Starmer said in his first Christmas message as the prime minister.

He said Christmas is a time for people to remind themselves what is really important: "Family. Friendship. And fellowship between all people."

"I’ll be looking towards a better, brighter future for every person and celebrating the joy and wonder that Christmas brings,” he added.

The Arab region is witnessing significant developments that have drawn global attention, starting with the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, the security situation in Lebanon amid Israeli violations of a cease-fire agreement, and the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.

Israel has continued a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza since Oct. 5 to allegedly prevent the Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no sufficient humanitarian aid including food, medicine, and fuel has been allowed into the area, leaving the remaining population on the verge of imminent famine.

The onslaught was the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 45,300 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.