Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 April 2026.

Minister for the Middle East statement marking two years since seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed in an Israeli strike, including three British citizens.

Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said:

It has been two years since an Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza killed seven aid workers delivering food to starving civilians. Among those killed were three British citizens.

For two years, the families of Armed Forces veterans John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby have sought answers. The UK government has pressed Israel at the highest level for answers. Israel has a responsibility to provide these.

I’ve heard first-hand the pain their families have endured. So today, I repeat the UK’s call for transparency and accountability for this appalling attack – we will continue to push for justice. No aid worker should be killed doing their job providing lifesaving care to civilians living in the most dire straits.

I pay tribute to the bravery of the World Central Kitchen staff, it is vital that we do everything we can to ensure humanitarian staff can carry out their work without fear. More than 500 aid workers have lost their lives in Gaza since October 2023. Before the ceasefire, it was the most dangerous place in the world to be an aid worker.

I urge Israel to swiftly conclude and publish their findings into this attack. The families of those killed must know why this happened. Lessons must be learnt. A tragedy like this must never happen again.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 April 2026.

Statement on Lebanon by the foreign ministers of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, the UK and the High Representative of the European Union.

We, Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the European Union, express our full support to the Government and people of Lebanon, who are once again suffering the dramatic consequences of a war that is not theirs. We express our condolences to the family of the victims and our solidarity to the civilian population impacted by this war both in Lebanon and Israel.

The responsibility for this situation lies with Hezbollah. We strongly condemn Hezbollah’s attacks in support of Iran against Israel, which must cease immediately. The priority is to avoid a further escalation of the regional conflict with Iran.

We support the historic and courageous decisions taken by the Lebanese Government. There is no other way to preserve Lebanon from foreign interference than by strengthening its State, its institutions and sovereignty. In that regard, we call for direct political negotiation between Lebanon and Israel, that can contribute to putting a durable end to this conflict and set the conditions for peaceful regional coexistence.

The Lebanese executive has our full support in its approach and we encourage it to continue on this path through the implementation of concrete and irreversible measures, at all levels, to restore its sovereignty over the whole Lebanese territory, including the State’s monopoly on arms. In this context, we are committed to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and Lebanese Security Forces, by participating actively in the international support conference to be held as soon as conditions allow. With a view to enabling the Lebanese security forces to become the sole independent guarantors of Lebanon’s sovereignty in the long term, we also call on the Lebanese authorities to continue to adopt the necessary financial and economic reforms, in line with IMF requirements.

We call on all parties to immediately deescalate and to revert to the cessation of hostilities agreement and UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). We call for the protection of the civilian population, humanitarian personnel, peacekeepers, and civilian infrastructure, including airport, ports and bridges across the country, in line with international humanitarian law. We reaffirm our concern regarding the forced displacement of over 1m people in Lebanon. We call on Israel to avoid a further widening of the conflict including through a ground operation on Lebanese territory. We strongly reaffirm that the territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected.

We stand determined to continue to support the Lebanese government in providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict including the more than 1 million people displaced and to preserve Lebanon’s internal cohesion, building on the emergency measures already taken by our respective countries. We call on the entire international community to participate in this vital humanitarian effort to ensure dignified living conditions for the many victims of this conflict.

Finally, we reaffirm our strong support for the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in South Lebanon and call to ensure deconfliction channels remain open. We strongly condemn all recent attacks on UNIFIL contingents, which provoked unacceptable casualties among peacekeepers in recent days. We urge all parties, under all circumstances, to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises, in accordance with international law. We commend its remarkable work in these difficult conditions.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 March 2026.

Mrs Jane Stevens has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland in succession to Dr Bryony Mathew. Mrs Stevens will take up her appointment during September 2026.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Jane Elizabeth Stevens

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 March 2026.

UK Chargé d’Affaires, Deputy Ambassador James Ford, welcomes the OSCE Mission’s continued public advocacy and work on election integrity, reconciliation and dialogue between communities.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

And welcome Ambassador Holtzapple to the Permanent Council. As you know, the United Kingdom is a strong supporter of your Mission’s work.

Mr Chair, the United Kingdom remains committed to supporting a more inclusive, stable and transparent Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement. We are working with our international partners to support domestic institutions to respond to threats to Dayton, and to encourage constructive engagement from leaders in the wider region.  

We believe that following the recent presidential elections in Republika Srpska there is an opportunity for the new RS President to draw a line under the past and move towards a functional, stable Republika Srpska entity respectful of the BiH constitution. We encourage all politicians – including the current leadership of Republika Srpska – to work for the benefit of all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The United Kingdom strongly values the OSCE Mission’s strong public advocacy and continuing work on reconciliation and facilitating dialogue between communities. A more inclusive and cohesive society is essential to achieving a positive future for the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We particularly value the insight and proactive engagement by the nine OSCE Field Offices across the country and their role towards strengthening inter-ethnic relations. This has remained especially important amid recent divisive and inflammatory rhetoric.

We welcome ongoing efforts to draft reforms to BiH’s Constitution and Election Law, to address electoral discrimination and bring BiH in line with European Court of Human Rights requirements. It is positive news that the Working Group, established to advance this process, has committed to meeting again this month to discuss reform proposals. We urge continued and sustained efforts to implement these reforms ahead of October’s general elections.

The UK is pleased to have contributed to the Mission’s programme of support for improving the integrity of electoral processes in BiH. The successful rollout of election technology is a key part of strengthening political plurality and bolstering trust in democratic processes.  

Lastly, I wanted to recognise the role played by OSCE field missions in delivering cost savings which allowed the adoption of the 2026 OSCE budget, for the first time in five years. Decisions around staffing cuts have been difficult, and we thank you for engaging so constructively with the process.

Thank you again, Ambassador Holtzapple, for your leadership of the Mission at this important time. We highly appreciate the hard work and expertise of your team, and wish you continued success.

Thank you, Mr Chair.