LONDON: Government ministers in the UK have found no reason to suspend weapons exports to Israel after reviewing the latest three-month period of the Gaza war.
The review of evidence covered the three months up to April 24, following an earlier examination that reported on Israel Defense Forces activity until the end of January, The Guardian reported.
Israel’s killing of three UK aid workers attached to the World Central Kitchen took place in past periods reviewed by ministers.
The reviews are sent to Foreign Secretary David Cameron and then forwarded with advice to Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who signs off on the final decision.
The UK previously warned against a major Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, describing the strategy as a potential breach of international law. However, the latest review does not cover the recent outbreak of violence in the city.
Government ministers have refused to call for an end to Israel’s southern offensive, but say the deaths of 45 Palestinians in a designated safe zone last week should be investigated by a transparent inquiry.
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.”
The UK decision to continue arms sales appears to contradict the recent move by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
UK to continue arms sales to Israel after latest review
https://arab.news/ykrw4
UK to continue arms sales to Israel after latest review
- Govt ministers advised on 3-month period of fighting in Gaza up to April 24
- Decision appears to contradict ICC issuing of arrest warrant for Israeli PM
Israel agrees to ‘limited reopening’ of Rafah crossing: PM’s office
- The announcement came after visiting US envoys reportedly pressed Israeli officials to reopen the crossing, a vital entry point for aid into Gaza
JERUSALEM: Israel said Monday it would allow a “limited reopening” of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt once it had recovered the remains of the last hostage in the Palestinian territory.
The announcement came after visiting US envoys reportedly pressed Israeli officials to reopen the crossing, a vital entry point for aid into Gaza.
Reopening Rafah forms part of a Gaza truce framework announced by US President Donald Trump in October, but the crossing has remained closed after Israeli forces took control of it during the war.
The Israeli military also said it was searching a cemetery in the Gaza Strip on Sunday for the remains of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, a non-commissioned officer in the police’s elite Yassam unit.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the reopening would depend on “the return of all living hostages and a 100 percent effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said on X.
It said Israel’s military was “currently conducting a focused operation to exhaust all of the intelligence that has been gathered in the effort to locate and return” Gvili’s body.
“Upon completion of this operation, and in accordance with what has been agreed upon with the US, Israel will open the Rafah Crossing,” it said.
