UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced political pressure to end arms sales to Israel after seven aid workers, including three British nationals, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Three opposition parties and some MPs from the ruling Conservative Party said on Wednesday that the British government should consider suspending arms sales. Qatar-based media Al Jazeera gave the news in a report.
The Liberal Democrats have called for a freeze on arms exports to Israel. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party has also backed calls for a moratorium on arms sales to Israel, saying parliament should adjourn the Easter break to discuss the crisis.
The main opposition Labor Party said the government should suspend arms sales if lawyers found Israel had broken international law. Labour’s head of foreign policy, David Lammy, said: ‘We need to be clear about whether international humanitarian law has been breached. I have serious concerns about this.’
According to opinion polls, the Labor Party has a strong chance of winning the UK parliamentary elections later this year.
Three former judges of the country’s Supreme Court have written to the UK government calling for an end to arms sales with Israel. The 17-page letter was signed by more than 600 lawyers, academicians and retired senior judges. The letter states that selling weapons to Israel could expose the UK to complicity in genocide.
The letter, written to Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, said the agreement to provide military aid to Israel could involve the UK in genocide as well as serious violations of international humanitarian law. Existing international law criminalizes aiding and abetting wrongdoing internationally.
Last Monday, the Israeli forces launched an air attack on relief workers of the US-based charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Deir al-Balah area of Gaza. Seven people died. In addition to Palestinians, they include US-Canada dual citizens and citizens of the UK, Australia and Poland.
Jose Andres, the founder of the relief organization World Central Kitchen (WCK), complained on Wednesday that Israeli forces targeted aid workers’ vehicles in Gaza. Last Monday’s attack in which seven workers were killed has not been forgotten. Israeli forces were informed of their movements.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack “tragic and unintended”. The Israeli military has promised an independent investigation into the attack.
In a phone conversation with Netanyahu last Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commented that the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly unbearable. Three of the dead were British. He said that Britain is demanding a thorough and transparent independent investigation into the incident.
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However, Rishi Sunak gave no indication that the call for an immediate end to arms sales to Israel would be implemented immediately. However, he said that the issue of arms export to Israel is being reviewed. Rishi Sunak told the British newspaper Sun, “The United Kingdom has been following a very cautious approach to arms trade.” There are several rules, regulations and procedures that we will follow.’
At this time, he called for an impartial investigation into the attack.