DistantNews
Support us
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Conflict & Security

Streeting felt 'brick wall' raising Gaza concerns in government; Mandelson messages reveal criticism

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Wes Streeting stated he felt he was "hitting up against a brick wall" when raising concerns about Gaza within the government.
  • Private messages from Peter Mandelson criticized Streeting's approach, calling his concerns "hysterical" and questioning his maturity.
  • Streeting shared eyewitness testimony from doctors in Gaza with cabinet ministers, detailing graphic conditions and the impact of Israeli bombardment.

Wes Streeting, a former health secretary, revealed he felt he was "hitting up against a brick wall" when attempting to raise concerns about the situation in Gaza while serving in government. This disclosure comes after private messages from Peter Mandelson, who was appointed ambassador to the US, emerged, accusing Streeting of being "hysterical" about the conflict.

I wasn’t by any means the only cabinet minister pushing for action, but we often felt like we were hitting up against a brick wall. Our concerns and motives were dismissed.

— Wes StreetingStreeting describes the challenges of advocating for action on Gaza within the government.

In the leaked WhatsApp messages, Mandelson expressed strong criticism of Streeting's lobbying efforts in July 2025. Mandelson described Streeting's messages as "wild long hysterical" and stated he "pushed back," deeming it reflective of "pretty badly on his maturity." Another cabinet minister, Pat McFadden, noted that Streeting had circulated videos and a dossier from doctors detailing their experiences in Gaza under Israeli bombardment.

Streeting stated he was "horrified by the war in Gaza" and emphasized his efforts to push for "moral urgency" behind the scenes. He shared eyewitness testimony from doctors, including surgeons, who described operating on children with severe injuries and malnutrition due to the lack of analgesics. "I wasn’t by any means the only cabinet minister pushing for action, but we often felt like we were hitting up against a brick wall. Our concerns and motives were dismissed," Streeting said.

I think Wes is experiencing an early mid-life crisis.

— Peter MandelsonMandelson's critical assessment of Streeting's engagement with the Gaza issue, as revealed in leaked messages.

He asserted that his stance was not an "emotional or one-sided reaction," highlighting his support for Israel's right to defend itself and Palestinians' right to a state. Streeting also mentioned meeting survivors of the October 7th attacks and visiting Israel and the West Bank. He expressed pride in the government's eventual recognition of a Palestinian state but felt the decision took too long. The dossier Streeting shared contained graphic images of children suffering from acute malnutrition and amputated limbs, with doctors describing unprecedented trauma.

I’ve always supported Israel’s right to defend itself and Palestinians’ right to a state of their own.

— Wes StreetingStreeting clarifies his balanced position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog