The British government, as per Foreign Secretary David Cameron, has affirmed its decision to continue exporting weapons to Israel. Despite mounting pressure to suspend these exports due to allegations of humanitarian violations in Gaza.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during his visit to Washington, addressed the issue of Israel and international humanitarian law. He emphasized that the UK’s arms export control regime necessitates a thorough review of the situation in Gaza and Israel’s military actions.
Despite mounting pressure, the British government has reaffirmed its stance on continuing to export weapons to Israel. “The latest assessment leaves our position on export licenses unchanged,” he said.
“Let me be clear, though, we continue to have grave concerns around the humanitarian access issue in Gaza,” he told a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The United States, as the primary supplier of weapons to Israel, has declined requests to halt shipments, even amid growing dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict.
Tragically, in an Israeli strike last week, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen lost their lives. Among them were three Britons and one US-Canadian dual citizen. The Israeli military attributed this incident to an unintentional accident.
In light of a recent letter signed by over 600 British lawyers, including former Supreme Court judges, expressing concern, the United Kingdom faces scrutiny over its decision to export weapons to Israel. These legal experts argue that such exports could potentially violate international law.
Since 2015, London has authorized weapon sales to Israel amounting to over £487 million (approximately $614 million) through single-issue licenses. Additionally, companies have exported more arms under open licenses.
Meanwhile, Germany, another significant weapons exporter to Israel, is currently embroiled in a case before the International Court of Justice.
Germany has asserted that its foreign policy is fundamentally anchored in supporting Israel, with the memory of the Holocaust playing a pivotal role. However, it vehemently denies allegations made at the United Nations’ highest court that it is complicit in genocide by arming Israel during the conflict in Gaza.
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