Rights groups slam UK for supplying arms to Israel despite ‘war crimes evidence’
A protest outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Westminster demanding an arms embargo on Israel
Assiah Hamed reports in The New Arab on 5 February, 2025:
Six human rights organisations have sent a joint letter on Wednesday to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticising the UK’s ongoing arms transfers and military support to Israel.
The groups raised concerns over Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria, amid growing international condemnation.
The letter – signed by the likes of War on Want, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), and Action For Humanity – cited “overwhelming evidence” of serious violations of international law committed by Israeli forces.
The organisations accused the Israeli military of systematically targeting Palestinians through tactics such as starvation and unlawful killings during its 15-month-long assault on Gaza and intensified raids in the West Bank.
The groups also highlighted their previous attempts to engage with Lammy and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). “The disappointing pattern to these exchanges is a continuation of that with the previous government since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza,” the letter said. “While we appreciate the government and FCDO officials taking time to send replies, we are frustrated by the failure to engage with us on the key concerns.”