Name: UK to consider suspending arms exports to Israel
Uploaded: 2024-02-25T08:05:46.224Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: The U.K says it will consider halting arms exports to Israel if its armed forces proceed with a ground assault in Rafah. Critics warn an offensive on the southern Gaza city will have devastating impacts.

The U.K says it will consider halting arms exports to Israel if its armed forces proceed with a ground assault in Rafah. Critics warn an offensive on the southern Gaza city will have devastating impacts.


Rafah

The U.S-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza is holding, after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages.

Middle East Conflict

UK to consider suspending arms exports to Israel

The UK is considering restricting arms exports to Israel should the IDF conduct a ground offensive into Hamas's last major stronghold in Rafa. Sources told British media that the legal status of export licenses would be reconsidered if operations in Rafa are found to be in violation of international law by not taking extraordinary steps to prevent harm to civilians, a topic that took British Parliament by storm Wednesday night as lawmakers demanded an immediate ceasefire. A ground offensive in Rafa would be a humanitarian disaster, a moral catastrophe and a strategic mistake. It must not happen. But is that just sound and fury signifying nothing? I think it will depend on the further developments in the war. I don't think that the Sunni government will want to do this by any means. But public opinion may force them to and their legal commitments. The last year on record had about $53 million of arms exports from the UK to Israel, or about 1.9 percent of what Israel imports from other nations. Noticeable, but not backbreaking. But five other nations have already suspended arms deliveries, in part or in whole, or are in a legal dispute over those same arms. Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Japan make that list, but their contracts are negligible, even compared to the UK. But Britain would be the first great power to join in. Oh no, these most certainly aren't irrelevant countries. Belgium may be a small country, but it's part of the EU. Japan that you mentioned, the fact that Israel has a growing relationship with Japan, not just in the commercial area, but in the last few years, the beginning of a military relationship and a cyber relationship, these are all very important relationships in and of themselves. And it is part of the growing delegitimization of Israel in the international community. Israel has vowed to push into Rafa beginning March 10th, should the 134 hostages held by the Hamas terror group not be released. Recent special operations in Rafa have already liberated two civilian hostages amid increased public demand in Israel to continue operations there.

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Middle East Conflict