LONDON: UK government ministers have concluded that there is no justification for halting weapons exports to Israel following a review of the Gaza war’s latest three-month period.
The review, which analyzed evidence up to April 24, builds upon an earlier assessment that covered Israel Defense Forces activities until the end of January, reported The Guardian.
The killings of three UK aid workers associated with the World Central Kitchen by Israel occurred during past periods reviewed by ministers. These reviews are first sent to Foreign Secretary David Cameron and then conveyed with recommendations to Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who ultimately approves the final decision.
Although the UK had previously cautioned against Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, labeling it as a violation of international law, the recent review does not encompass the recent escalation of violence in the area.
Despite calls for the UK government to denounce Israel’s offensive in the south, ministers have refrained from doing so, instead advocating for a transparent inquiry into the deaths of 45 Palestinians in a designated safe zone last week.
A statement from the UK Foreign Office said: “As required by the UK’s robust arms export control regime, the foreign secretary has now reviewed the most recent advice about the situation in Gaza and Israel’s conduct of their military campaign.
“The business secretary has therefore decided our position on export licences remains unchanged. This is consistent with the advice ministers have received. As ever, we will keep the position under review.
“The UK operates a robust and thorough assessment of arms export licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. These criteria include that we will not grant an export licence if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
However, this stance appears to conflict with recent actions by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan, who has moved to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
