- By Thomas Mackintosh
- BBC News
In November, Former PM Boris Johnson and ex-Australian PM Scott Morrison visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza following the 7 October attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has said it is “shameful” to call for the UK to end arms sales to Israel.
It has led the Lib Dems, SNP and some Labour and Conservative MPs to urge the UK to reassess how it supports Israel.
The Foreign Office said on Thursday it kept advice on Israel’s adherence to the law under review, adding that this was confidential.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, Mr Johnson said it would be “insane” for the UK to end military support, which he said would be “willing the military defeat of Israel and the victory of Hamas”.
Mr Johnson, a former foreign secretary, wrote: “Remember that in order to win this conflict, Hamas only has to survive. All they need at the end is to hang on, rebuild, and go again.
“That’s victory for Hamas; and that is what these legal experts seem to be asking for.”
More than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, this week wrote to the government saying weapon exports to Israel must end because the UK risks breaking international law over a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza. Israel rejects the claim of genocide as “wholly unfounded”.
Image source, World Central Kitchen
WCK released pictures of the victims
Mr Johnson said it was “shattering” to see the deaths, but Israel was sending warnings of their attacks and “trying to use precision munitions”.
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron previously said the UK would carefully review findings of the initial Israel Defense Forces (IDF) report into the incident, which was released on Friday.
Much of the Gaza Strip has been devastated during the IDF military operations which began after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.
More than 33,091 people have been killed in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
On Thursday a UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We keep advice on Israel’s adherence to international humanitarian law under review and ministers act in accordance with that advice, for example when considering export licences.
“The content of the government’s advice is confidential.”
British arms sales to Israel are lower than those of other countries, including Germany and Italy, and dwarfed by the billions supplied by its largest arms supplier, the US.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
