The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, met with families of hostages and bereaved families at a memorial event for October 7 in his residence at 10 Downing Street in London.
Prime Minister Starmer spoke at the event:
"I have just met with a number of you. I have met some of you before, and some of you for the first time. It is impossible not to feel the pain in your words, the suffering you have endured. I admire your courage, your humanity, and your determination to ensure that your loved ones are not forgotten."
"I want you to know, as your Prime Minister, that every word you said to me this morning had a profound impact, and I will think of your words again and again – as they deserve."
"I will do everything to preserve the memory of those who were killed and to bring the abductees home."
"I want to commend all those who are working and speaking for the return of the abductees – in Israel, in the United States, and the representatives of the negotiating team from Qatar and Egypt, who are seeking to find an arrangement that will ensure their release."
"I also hear what you have to say about these efforts. Do not think otherwise – we will not rest until your families are home."
"Fifteen British citizens were brutally murdered on October 7. Another British citizen died in captivity. More than a thousand people were butchered by Hamas. For the simple reason that they were Jews. It was not just an attack on individuals, but on Jewish communities, on their way of life, and on the State of Israel, which is a symbol of the security of Jews everywhere."
"And so, we remain committed to the partnership with Israel. We remain committed to its security and its right to self-defense. And we stand with our Jewish communities here. I assure you that we will uproot anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head."
"We will not be silent. We will not avert our gaze. We will never forget this day, and the incomprehensible barbarity of it. This is the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust."
"But as we commemorate this day, we must look forward and ensure that such an event never happens again. The hostages must be returned home immediately, unconditionally."
"And those words, "immediately, unconditionally," are of the utmost importance, and must be emphasized, again and again and again. As you emphasized to me, rightly, this morning."
"We do indeed want to see a ceasefire – we believe that this is the right way to move forward towards the liberation of the hostages and the end of the suffering in Palestine."
"But as you have emphasized to me, first and foremost, the hostages must be released. That is the first thing we must think of when we discuss these matters. Immediately and unconditionally."
"We stand in solidarity with the State of Israel today, but tomorrow we will stand by your side. We stand by the families who suffer. We stand by those who yearn for the return of their loved ones."
"And we stand with the Jewish communities, across the United Kingdom and beyond, on this day of pain and sorrow."
"Thank you for coming here. I wish we were not here under these circumstances, but we will continue to work tirelessly to do everything we can to bring the abductees to where they belong – home."