© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend “Session II: One Family” at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday about the Red Sea, Gaza and Ukraine.
“They talked about what’s going on in the Red Sea and the need for a continued international multilateral approach to disrupting and degrading Houthi capabilities,” White House spokesman John Kirby (NYSE:) told reporters in Washington.
Biden and Sunak also spoke about the need to bring down the number of civilian casualties and to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza as well as the urgent need for supplemental funding and support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Kirby said.
“The leaders also agreed that a two-state solution which allows Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security is more important than ever,” according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
A Sunak spokesman earlier on Monday said it was “disappointing” to hear of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a future sovereign Palestinian state.
Britain, which has backed the Israeli government’s right to defend itself against Hamas, wants a “sustainable ceasefire” based on the release of hostages by Hamas.
Sunak’s government has also called for Israel to respect humanitarian law and pauses in the fighting in Gaza to allow more aid into the besieged enclave.
