UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack in the strongest terms but said the attack could not justify what followed in Gaza. Miliband condemned Hamas’s assault while also criticizing the civilian deaths and humanitarian devastation in Gaza.
Miliband said about 1,200 Palestinians had died in Gaza after the period described as a ceasefire. The figure cited in his statement was presented as a number provided by Miliband, rather than as a toll verified through an independent dataset.
He said the crisis was continuing in a parliamentary record
In a record dated September 8, 2026, in the UK Parliament, Miliband said the crisis in Gaza was continuing and that more than 1,200 Palestinians had been killed about a year after the ceasefire was declared. Miliband argued that the humanitarian situation had worsened because of decisions by the Israeli government and said the crisis could not be viewed solely as the result of past conflicts.
Two distinct points stood out in Miliband’s position. While Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack and hostage-taking were condemned, the civilian deaths and humanitarian devastation in Gaza were also described as unacceptable.
From the attack to the ceasefire period
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack was described as the starting point of the war that began in Gaza; in the period that followed, civilian casualties and the need for humanitarian aid remained at the center of international debate.
The UK’s stated position included calls for the unconditional release of the hostages held by Hamas, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and a sustainable ceasefire. Parliamentary debates in 2024 likewise condemned Hamas’s attacks and the taking of hostages while calling for an end to civilian casualties in Gaza and guaranteed access for aid.
The ceasefire arrangement reported to have taken effect in October 2025 aimed to end the fighting. Nevertheless, Miliband said in his statement that Palestinians had continued to be killed after the ceasefire. His assessment showed that debate was continuing over whether the ceasefire had produced a full and lasting cessation of hostilities on the ground.
The UK’s approach to Gaza
Miliband argued that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must be brought to an end, accountability mechanisms must be activated and the parties must move toward a lasting peace process. The UK government’s approach combined condemnation of the Hamas attack with calls for the release of the hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid and a sustainable ceasefire.
This framework showed that the October 7 attack and civilian casualties in Gaza were not viewed as justifications for one another. Miliband’s remarks indicated that, because of the deaths reported after the ceasefire and the continuing humanitarian problems, the situation in Gaza was not considered a closed issue by the UK government.
