DOWNING Street has been branded "appalling" by a leading charity boss after it U-turned on top ministers’ assertions that Israel has breached international law in Gaza.
On Monday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy twice told the Commons that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was guilty of breaching international laws.
Labour’s Dr Rupa Huq welcomed the minister’s “strong statement that blockading all aid into Gaza, including UK aid, is ‘appalling and unacceptable’”, adding: “What consequences are there for what people are saying is a breach of international law?”
Lammy said Huq was “right: this is a breach of international law”.
He went on: “Israel, quite rightly, must defend its own security, but we find the lack of aid – and it has now been 15 days since aid got into Gaza – unacceptable, hugely alarming, and very worrying.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn then raised the issue again, prompting Lammy to reply: “I did say in my contribution that Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law. Of course, we have spoken to the Israelis about those concerns.”
Pat McFadden, a key ally of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on Tuesday confirmed that Lammy had been speaking for the UK Government.
However, he added: “We don’t impose an arms embargo. We have arms trade with Israel, and you know, that’s not going to result in an embargo.”
But just hours later, Downing Street undermined the two senior ministers and U-turned on the assertion that Israel was breaking international law.
He went on: “We continue to call on the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations when it comes to humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza.”
No 10 declined to say whether the Foreign Secretary had misspoken and would correct the record, insisting the “parliamentary issues” were a matter for the Foreign Office.
Oxfam chief executive Halima Begum told The National the U-turn was “appalling”.
She said: “Israel has been committing non-stop violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank for over a year; including most recently blocking all aid into Gaza, collectively punishing over two million people who are already living in apocalyptic conditions. These war crimes have been televised and reported by countless organisations and legal bodies, from the UN to the International Court of Justice.
“Today of all days, when Israel has resumed its illegal bombing campaign and forced displacement orders on Palestinians in Gaza, for the Government to row back on the Foreign Secretary’s words is nothing short of appalling.
“The UK Government must condemn these crimes in the strongest terms immediately and stop its complicity in this catastrophic crisis.”
More than 400 people were reported killed after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes early on Tuesday after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement.
Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining captives in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce and has said it will not end the war until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities are destroyed.
Kristyan Benedict, crisis response manager at the human rights group, said: “The UK must immediately suspend all arms transfers to Israel in compliance with its own arms export rules and international obligations.
“As a matter of urgency, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should add genocide to the list of crimes it is investigating.
“No-one should be allowed to commit or facilitate genocide and remain unpunished.”
