- Johnson criticizes demand to halt UK arms sales to Israel
- Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill three British humanitarian workers
- Calls intensify for UK to reassess support for Israel
The demand for the United Kingdom to cease arms sales to Israel has been labeled “shameful” by former prime minister Boris Johnson.
On Monday, seven humanitarian workers, including three Britons, were killed in airstrikes in Gaza conducted by the Israeli army.
As a result, certain Labour and Conservative MPs, the Lib Dems, and the SNP have urged the United Kingdom to reevaluate its support for Israel.
The Foreign Office stated that it maintains confidential advice regarding Israel’s compliance with the law while it evaluates it.
Mr. Johnson stated that terminating military support would be “irrational” and “consensual” for the United Kingdom, as it would “consensus the military defeat of Israel and the triumph of Hamas.
Former foreign secretary Mr. Johnson penned, “Remember that Hamas only needs to survive to emerge victorious in this conflict.” Ultimately, they are only required to persevere, reconstruct, and proceed once more.
That is the request of these legal experts: a victory for Hamas.
This week, over 600 attorneys, including former justices of the Supreme Court, urged the government in a letter that weapon exports to Israel must cease lest the United Kingdom violate international law due to a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza. Israel rejects the claim of genocide as “completely unfounded.”
The strikes claimed the lives of three British employees from World Central Kitchen (WCK): James “Jim” Henderson, 47, John Chapman, 57, and James Kirby, 33.
Jose Andres, the founder of WCK, asserted that the Israeli military was aware of the whereabouts of his assistance workers and “systematically, car by car,” targeted them.
In response to the assaults, two senior military officers were terminated by Israeli authorities, an action that the government has labeled a “grave error resulting from a significant failure.”
Mr. Johnson described the fatalities as “devastating,” but Israel was “attempting to use precision munitions” and was seeking warnings before their attacks.
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron had previously stated that the United Kingdom would thoroughly examine the findings of the initial investigation by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) into the incident. That report was made public on Friday.
Mr. Johnson accused Mr. Cameron of remaining mute on the matter, stating that the foreign secretary had “gone into a purdah” regarding arms sales.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) initiated military operations in the Gaza Strip after a Hamas gun attack in southern Israel on October 7. These operations have caused significant devastation, resulting in the loss of approximately 1,200 lives and the capture of 253 detainees.
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Over 33,091 people have been murdered in Gaza since then, according to the health ministry, which Hamas operates.
In response to Mr. Johnson’s remarks, a United Kingdom Foreign Office spokesman stated: “We regularly review guidance regarding Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law, and ministers make decisions, such as when evaluating export licenses, by that guidance.”
“The government’s advice is treated as confidential.”
“The Strategic Export Licencing Criteria are the foundation for export license decisions.” “Any decision to suspend or revoke existing licenses would be disclosed to the public.”
Comparatively modest in value to arms deliveries to Germany and Italy, British arms sales to Israel are insignificant compared to the billions of dollars supplied by its largest arms supplier, the United States.
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