Another day, another death in Gaza. This time it’s an Al Jazeera cameraman, killed in an Israeli strike. The Foreign Office has issued the usual statement: 'We urge de-escalation.' Whitehall sources tell me the mood is grim. No one expects this to end soon.
The cameraman, name still being confirmed, was filming near Khan Younis. The IDF says it was targeting a Hamas post. Al Jazeera calls it a war crime. The UN is 'deeply concerned'. You can set your watch by these reactions.
But here’s the real game: domestic politics. Labour MPs are restless. The backbench foreign affairs committee is drafting a letter demanding the government condemn Israel more forcefully. No 10 is worried. They don’t want a full-blown rebellion on their hands. Not now, with polls tightening.
I’m told the PM’s advisors are split. The realists say they can't afford to alienate the Jewish lobby. The pragmatists say the party’s left flank is getting louder. So we get more of the same: mealy-mouthed statements, calls for restraint, no action.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues. Rockets from Gaza. Strikes from Israel. Civilians die. Cameramen die. The world watches and tuts. The US is busy elsewhere. Europe is irrelevant. And Britain? We issue press releases.
One senior Labour figure told me: 'Nobody has the stomach for a proper row. Not when the next election is this close.' So we drift. Hoping it blows over. It never does.
Al Jazeera will bury their man. The UK will move on to the next crisis. Same as it ever was.