The United Kingdom is under mounting pressure to halt weapons sales to Israel following the deaths of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), including three British nationals, in an Israeli air strike in Gaza that took place on Monday night. The incident has sparked international condemnation and calls for accountability.
The aid workers killed in the air strike were led by the widely-known chef and CEO of WCK, José Ramón Andrés Puerta. The convoy was clearly marked with organization’s logo and was coordinating its movements with the Israeli military when it was targeted, leading to widespread outrage.
Reactions in the UK
The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, finds himself at the centre of this controversy as opposition parties and some MPs within his own party advocate for the suspension of arms export to Israel. The Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party have been vocal in their call for addressal of this crisis, the former demanding a halt to the sales.
While the main opposition, the Labour Party, has not outright called for a suspension of arms sales, it has adopted a nuanced stance. The party’s foreign policy chief, David Lammy, stressed the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law and urged the government to suspend arms sales pending legal advice on Israel’s actions.
Overall, in the UK, public opinion seems to align with a call for ban on weapons sales to Israel, according to a poll published in The Guardian. Despite this, Sunak has resisted immediate calls to suspend the sales, citing the UK’s export licensing regime and the need to adhere to established rules and procedures.
Netanyahu’s Statement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident, labelling it unintended and promising an independent inquiry. However, José Andrés disputed this narrative, alleging that the Israeli military deliberately targeted his employees.
Context and Role of OIC Members
The UK has a significant history of arms sales to Israel, with exports totalling over £570 million since 2008. Defence Minister Grant Shapps has emphasized the relatively small proportion of defence exports to Israel compared to Britain’s total global sales, but the moral and ethical implications of these transactions remain a subject of intense debate.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council is set to consider a draft resolution calling for a cessation of arms sales to Israel. This resolution, brought forward by Pakistan on behalf of 55 member states in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), condemns Israel’s use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and demands that Israel hold up its responsibility to prevent genocide.
