OVER ONE hundred British MPs have demanded an immediate cessation of the UK’s arms sales to Israel amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
This request was formalised in a letter addressed to UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Wednesday, highlighting the urgency and echoing actions taken by nations like Canada.
The parliamentarians’ letter condemned the continuation of arms exports to Israel as ‘totally unacceptable’ and suggested that components supplied by the UK may have been utilised in military actions affecting British medical personnel in Gaza two months prior.
The dispatch, organised by Labour MP Zarah Sultana and endorsed by 107 MPs and 27 Lords, comes as the Israeli authorities appear to dismiss the recent UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate truce in Gaza.
Forty-six Labour MPs and a majority of the SNP’s MPs have supported the ban.
Zarah Sultana criticised the Israeli government for overlooking the UN resolution and accused it of breaching international law, strengthening the plea to halt arms trade.
She urged the UK to acknowledge the rights of the Palestinians and to adhere to the call from the cross-party group of 130 parliamentarians to stop arms sales to Israel.
The UN Security Council’s recent ceasefire resolution, backed by all its members except for an abstention from the US, coincides with escalating global concern over a potential ground offensive into Rafah, Gaza, where a significant number of Palestinians have sought refuge.
Human rights organisations have expressed fears that an incursion into Rafah would escalate the already grave civilian casualties and deepen the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The violence in Gaza, which began on October 7th with Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, has resulted in substantial Palestinian casualties and injuries.
Moreover, the imposition of a ‘complete siege’ on Gaza has exacerbated the plight of its inhabitants, with critical supplies including fuel, electricity, food, and water being obstructed, affecting over two million Palestinians residing in the area.
To date, Israeli offensives on Gaza since October 7 have led to at least 32,490 Palestinian casualties and 74,889 injuries.
