Netanyahu's Political Opponent Holds Unofficial Peace Talks With U.S. and U.K.

Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, met David Cameron, Britain’s foreign secretary, in London on Wednesday, he got a sharp message that Israel must do more to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza.

Gantz is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and a popular political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mr. Netanyahu expressed deep displeasure at what he viewed as an unsanctioned trip by a would-be Israeli leader.

In the meeting, Mr. Cameron said in a statement, he and Mr. Gantz discussed efforts to pause the fighting, and Mr. Cameron urged him to increase aid. While he said that Britain supports Israel’s right to self-defense, “as the occupying power in Gaza, Israel has a legal responsibility to ensure aid is available for civilians.”

Mr. Gantz also met with Britain’s national security adviser, Tim Barrow, a session that was joined by Mr. Sunak, according to a readout from Mr. Gantz’s office.

Giving Mr. Gantz these meetings also sends a message to Mr. Netanyahu. The prime minister has frustrated officials in London and Washington with his refusal to pause the military campaign or agree on terms for a hostage deal with Hamas, not to mention his dismissal of a future peace accord with the Palestinians.

Before stopping in London, Mr. Gantz visited Washington, where he met on Monday with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, but not — as some Israeli journalists speculated beforehand — with President Biden.

Mr. Sunak later clarified that there had been no change in British policy, which is to pursue a two-state solution to the conflict. The United States also favors a Palestinian state that would result from a negotiated settlement with Israel.

Mr. Indyk, the former ambassador, said the Knesset vote enabled Mr. Netanyahu to say to the Biden administration that there is “wall-to-wall opposition to a Palestinian state, on the basis of something the administration had no intention of doing.”