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Three British aid workers were killed after Israeli forces bombed a World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza. (Alamy)
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Pressure is mounting on the British government to halt arms sales to Israel after three British aid workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, amid concerns the country could be breaking international law.
The charity World Food Kitchen, which has provided millions of meals to Gazans since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, confirmed on Tuesday that three British nationals were among seven people killed in airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army on Monday.
In response to the deaths, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said: “Israel must explain how this tragic incident happened and take immediate steps to protect aid workers” in Gaza – with Foreign Secretary David Cameron saying Israel must “make major changes to to guarantee the safety of emergency workers.” to the ground”.
Elsewhere, Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely was also summoned to a meeting at the Foreign Office, where Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said in a statement afterwards that he had told Hotovely that he condemned the killings “unequivocally” and “asked for a rapid and transparent investigation, shared with the international community. community, and full responsibility”.
Labor leader Keir Starmer said in a statement that the deaths were “horrific” and called for “a full investigation” and an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
Since October 7, 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, destroying much of the region’s key infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. More than 100 Israeli hostages are also currently being held in Gaza by Hamas, after more than 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas’ terror attacks in October, which sparked the escalation of violence.
This was said by Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, the only British MP of Palestinian descent PoliticsHome that “it should not take British aid workers to die for the Foreign Secretary to do more” and called for the suspension of arms sales to Israel.
“If that’s what it takes to get him to call for an immediate bilateral ceasefire that we so desperately need, in the strongest possible terms, then that’s fine,” she said.
“However, many questions still remain. First, the killing of aid workers violates the interim measures established by the International Court of Justice.
“But finally, and crucially, there is a chance that the weapons Britain supplied contributed to the deaths in Gaza. If they can’t stop the killing, they should at least say they’re going to do it now.” stop all arms trade with Israel for the foreseeable future until the country returns to compliance with international law.”
On Sunday, The observer reported that senior Tory MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns told a Tory fundraising event on March 13 that the British government has received advice from its lawyers stating that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in Gaza, but has not made this public.
If Israel breaks international law in Gaza, Britain would be obliged under its own laws to halt arms exports to Israel or risk being seen as a facilitator of war crimes in a country to which it exported weapons.
Moran also said she believed there was “a growing consensus” among MPs on suspending arms sales to Israel. Last week, 134 MPs from all major political parties met signed a letter He calls on Britain to “immediately suspend export licenses for arms transfers to Israel” amid fears Israel is breaking international law in Gaza.
“I understand that even Margaret Thatcher suspended arms sales to Israel during one of the flare-ups when she was Prime Minister, so there’s a lot of precedent for this in the past, and I don’t quite understand what’s holding Rishi Sunak back,” Moran told it PoliticsHome.
“The scale of the carnage, but in particular the murder of humanitarian workers and now these British aid workers, only underlines how important it is that we are in no way complicit in the murder of innocent civilians, and brave men and women are on their feet. ground who are only there to do their job to save lives.”
Labor MP Afzal Khan, who resigned from the Labor front bench in November to vote for a Gaza ceasefire, also told PoliticsHome he believed that Britain should “halt all arms sales to Israel”.
“The killing of aid workers is abhorrent and unconscionable during the greatest humanitarian crisis in a generation,” Khan said.
“For aid to reach the people who need it most, aid workers must be protected. This can only be done with a ceasefire. It is time for the British government to step up the pressure on the Israeli government and halt all arms sales .”
Another Labor MP A Labor MP who has not actively opposed their party’s position on Israel told PoliticsHome they also supported a halt to arms sales to Israel, adding that the “stated goal” of rescuing the hostages was also unsuccessful, and that Israel “appears to be outside international law” in their involvement in Gaza.
“I think support for stopping arms shipments to Israel is increasing,” they said.
“In the past, some people were far ahead in this, and then the position of the party changed. I think this is the same thing, I think the same thing will happen.
“We have now reached the point where most of us are saying that Israel is violating international law. At the very least, there should be an investigation because there is clear evidence of possible violations.”
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