A diplomatic row has erupted after a British minister’s comments about the deaths of aid workers in Gaza prompted a strong rebuke from an Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson.
The incident highlights rising tensions between the UK and Israel amid mounting criticism over Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.
Hamish Falconer, Britain’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa and Labour MP, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “aid workers need protection and must never be targeted.” He added that, following Israel’s admission of responsibility for recent strikes on UN premises in Gaza, there must be thorough investigations into all attacks that killed aid workers, accountability for those responsible, and guarantees that such incidents will not happen again.
Hours later, Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry, accused Falconer of spreading “blood libel.” Marmorstein insisted that “Israel never targets aid workers. Israel targets terrorists only, and any other suggestion is pure blood libel and must be retracted.”
He further suggested Falconer reflect on the UK’s own military actions and accountability for civilian deaths during armed conflicts.
Israel Admits to Killing UN Worker
The exchange comes days after the Israeli military admitted that its forces killed Marin Valev Marinov, a Bulgarian staff member of the UN Office for Project Services (Unops), with tank fire inside a UN compound in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on 19 March. Initially, Israel denied targeting the site but later admitted error after an internal investigation concluded troops had wrongly believed there was an “enemy presence” inside the building.
Falconer’s statement appeared to reference this admission, which has further strained UK-Israel relations.
Mounting Aid Worker Casualties in Gaza
According to the United Nations, Israeli operations have killed more than 400 aid workers in Gaza since 7 October 2023. A Guardian investigation earlier this year reported that more than 1,000 medical personnel were killed before January 2024 alone.
Despite Marmorstein’s demand, Falconer has not retracted his statement.
UK-Israel Tensions Growing
This incident follows a series of diplomatic disputes between London and Tel Aviv. Earlier this month, Labour MPs Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang were barred by Israeli authorities from entering the occupied Palestinian territories, citing concerns over “hate speech.” The move drew sharp criticism from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
In another controversy, the family of British aid worker James Kirby — killed in an Israeli drone strike while delivering aid for World Central Kitchen — condemned the UK government for withholding RAF spy plane footage related to the incident, citing “national security” concerns. The family labelled Israel’s investigation into Kirby’s death a “whitewash” and called for an independent inquiry.
Humanitarian Toll of Israel’s War on Gaza
The Palestinian health ministry reports that Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 51,495 Palestinians since the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. Since the collapse of the ceasefire on 18 March, at least 2,062 more Palestinians have been killed and 5,375 wounded.
Calls for greater accountability continue to grow amid the devastating humanitarian toll in Gaza and increasing pressure on Israel from international actors, including the UK.
