Cameron, who is on a visit to the Middle East and met separately with Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, announced Britain and Qatar are working together to get more aid into Gaza, with a first joint consignment containing tents being flown into Egypt on Thursday before travelling by road to Gaza.

Israel, which denies holding up aid, launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas stormed across its border on Oct 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking hostages, about 130 of whom remain in captivity.

Israel’s response has left more than 25,000 dead and caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people left homeless and acutely short of food, water, medicine and fuel.

“The scale of suffering in Gaza is unimaginable. More must be done, faster, to help people trapped in this desperate situation,” Cameron said. “We have trebled our assistance for Gaza … But our efforts will only make a difference if aid gets to those who need it most.”

“As I said to PM Netanyahu … far more trucks need to be able to enter Gaza and more crossings need to open. We need an immediate humanitarian pause to get aid in and hostages out, followed by a sustainable ceasefire.”

Cameron pushed Israeli leaders for the port of Ashdod to be used for the delivery of aid into Gaza, his office said.