Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 April 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Cooperation between the UN and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The GCC is a vital partner for the UN. Its deep understanding of regional dynamics and political credibility make it well-positioned to support this Council’s work.

This meeting comes at a time of acute regional insecurity. 

The United Kingdom unequivocally and strongly condemns the egregious Iranian attacks against GCC and regional countries that target civilian areas, critical infrastructure, and vital economic assets. 

These strikes represent a direct threat to international peace and security. 

The UK stands in solidarity with all GCC States as they exercise their inherent right to defend their sovereignty and protect their citizens. 

We also reiterate our strong condemnation of Iran’s unacceptable attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. 

We commend Bahrain’s leadership in driving Council action to address these threats, including through UNSCR 2817. 

The resolution is clear: such aggression is unacceptable and must cease immediately.

Earlier today, my Foreign Minister hosted a meeting with over 40 countries to discuss efforts to reopen and ensure safe passage through the Strait.

She expressed her support for Bahrain’s efforts to secure a further resolution on this issue.

President, we commend GCC states for their constructive diplomatic efforts, particularly their effective role in mediation processes and humanitarian support. 

We also welcome their leadership on cross‑cutting priorities, including Women, Peace and Security; Youth, Peace and Security; and work to address food, water, and environmental pressures that increasingly drive insecurity.

In Gaza and the West Bank, we now have a historic opportunity to end the cycle of violence and turn a page toward lasting peace by renewing our efforts to achieve a Two-State Solution. 

In this regard, we welcome the vital role the GCC states are playing in supporting efforts to implement UNSCR 2803, particularly by ensuring humanitarian aid reaches the most vulnerable and supporting plans for Gaza’s long-term reconstruction.

Finally, the UK was proud to work in collaboration with the UAE and other Gulf counterparts to establish the Tolerance, Peace and Security agenda in 2023 with the passing of UNSCR 2686. 

Around the world, persecution and intolerance is widespread and, on the rise, making our efforts to champion this agenda more important than ever. 

In conclusion, President, the United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to working with the GCC, the United Nations, and all Council members to protect civilians, uphold international law, and advance peace, security, and stability.

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.