Pressure is mounting on the British government to review or even halt arms sales to Israel after the deaths of seven aid workers, including three Britons, in Gaza sparked outrage in London.
According to a report released in January by humanitarian organizations, much of the weaponry used by Israel in Gaza, in the war against Hamas, includes components from Britain.
Three Britons dead
The opposition SNP (Scottish National Party for the independence of Scotland) and the Liberal Democrats (Centrists), as well as many MPs from the ruling Conservative party, called for an immediate halt to these exports, following the Israeli strike that killed seven members of the government organization World Central Kitchen (WCK). Among the victims were Britons John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to know that British weapons could be used for strikes like these over there,” commented Lib Dem leader Ed Davey.
Taking a more cautious stance, the Labor Party, the favorite to win the next general election, reiterated its demand for the government to release its legal assessment of Israel’s violations of international law in Gaza. “If it is concluded (in this report) that there is a clear risk that British weapons will be used in the context of a serious breach of international humanitarian law, it is time to stop the sale of these weapons,” said David Lammy, who is responsible for international affairs. .
When asked about this by The Sun newspaper, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak assured that arms exports are followed by a “very careful process” with a series of “rules and procedures that the country must always respect”.
Yesterday Sunak asked his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, for an independent investigation into the deaths of WCK volunteers and civilians in Gaza. He also called for immediate action to facilitate the work of humanitarian organizations and protect civilians.
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