The day before the shooting, the U.K. announced that it is ending talks on a new trade agreement with Israel that have been ongoing since 2022, and is imposing sanctions on settlement entities in the occupied West Bank. “History will judge them,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, calling Israel’s aid blockade in Gaza “indefensible.”

Israeli soldiers mistakenly fired warning shots at diplomats representing the European Union, UK, China, Russia and other countries on Wednesday.

Sir Keir Starmer joined the French and Canadian leaders to call on the Israeli government to "stop its military operations" and "immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza". Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by saying the three leaders had offered a "huge prize" for Hamas in the Gaza war.

Britain, France and Canada called the Israeli plans for escalation “disproportionate” and “egregious” at a time when the U.N. is warning the population is at risk of famine.