British Prime Minister David Cameron. Photo: WEF.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday that he was “worried” because the “facts on the ground” in Israel were “beginning to make a two-state solution impossible” as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza enters its 23rd day.

The Prime Minister was speaking at a “Cameron Direct” question-and-answer session in Cheshire, England, and his comments were reported by the Harborough Mail, a small local paper.

Cameron also repeated his call for an immediate, unconditional, humanitarian ceasefire. He did, however, come to Israel’s defense, saying, “Yes, it is awful what is happening in Gaza and the loss of life, but we do have to remember, whenever we have had a ceasefire in the last few days, it has been a ceasefire that has been obeyed and observed by the Israelis but it has not been observed by Hamas.”

“Hamas continue the rocket attacks that are not aimed at military targets or political targets. They are aimed, indiscriminately, into Israel in order to do the maximum damage they possibly can. And so we do have to understand that that has to stop in order for there to be a lasting ceasefire.”

Newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond echoed the Prime Minister’s appeal for an immediate ceasefire from both sides. A guest on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Mr Hammond refused to answer the question – which was posed five times – of whether he considered Israel’s actions in Gaza to be disproportionate. Answering indirectly, Hammond said only that “disproportionate” was an “emotive word” and “It would not be legal if it was not proportionate.”

He further added that there would be a thorough assessment of Operation Protective Edge “in the fullness of time.”

Hammond’s words fly in the face of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s views who earlier in July slammed Israel for its “disproportionate form of collective punishment”.