UK rows back on Lammy saying Israel is breaking international law
Number 10 Downing Street has rowed back on Foreign Secretary David Lammy's accusation on Monday that Israel was breaking international humanitarian law.
This comes just hours after Pat McFadden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told Sky News this morning that Lammy had been speaking for the government.
Asked about the blockade and its consequences in parliament on Monday, Lammy said: "This is a breach of international law. Israel quite rightly must defend its own security. But we find the lack of aid – it’s now been 15 days since aid got into Gaza – unacceptable, hugely alarming and very worrying."
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official spokesperson said on Tuesday afternoon that the UK government position remains that Israel's actions in Gaza are "at clear risk" of a breach.
Meanwhile McFadden ruled out imposing a full arms embargo on Israel after it killed more than 300 Palestinians without warning on Tuesday morning, unilaterally ending its ceasefire with Hamas.
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Tuesday's attack, which targeted Palestinians displaced by the conflict, was one of the bloodiest bombardments of the Gaza Strip since the war began.
Speaking to Times Radio, McFadden said: "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 we’ve said very publicly what we think of that idea of collective punishment. We don’t want to see that happening.”
'We need to stop them starving children'
The Labour government had not accused Israel of breaking international law before this week, meaning that Lammy's comments in parliament on Monday represented a significant shift in the UK's position.
Independent MP Ayoub Khan told Middle East Eye that Number 10's remarks were "shameful", accusing the government of "deliberate obfuscation".
"This pattern of rhetoric and failing to condemn actions while refusing to impose any meaningful consequences has emboldened the Israeli government to continue its campaign of murder, destruction, starvation, and displacement in Gaza."
Adnan Hussain, another independent MP, described Lammy's "belated admission" as "welcome".
"The government would do well to align itself with the new found moral compass of its Foreign Secretary rather than undermine him," he said.
The Council for Arab-British Understanding said: "In a disgraceful move, No 10 Downing Street has tried to retract the Foreign Secretary's clear statement accusing Israel of violating international law with its blockade of Gaza.
"It undermines the government's claims that it respects international law and exposes a clear chasm between the Prime Minister and his Foreign Secretary."
Oxfam Chief Executive Halima Begum described the government's move as "nothing short of appalling".
"The UK Government must condemn these crimes in the strongest terms immediately and stop its complicity in this catastrophic crisis."
On Tuesday Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, refused multiple times in an interview with LBC to say that the UK should consider sanctioning Israel.
"I think that what we need to do is we need to stop [Israel] starving children, so then the question is how do we make them stop?" she said.
"Will sanctions make them stop? No. What will make them stop is that there needs to be a solution to this, which is a political situation. And it needs to be that Israel has a way of being safe and secure in its state.
Thornberry added: "But they will not be safe and secure unless there is also a Palestinian state that is able to live alongside."
McFadden insisted that the UK "has diplomatic influence," saying the country would try to help restore the ceasefire.
"Obviously, we work with allies to exercise that influence, but I still think the UK's diplomatic voice counts in the world, and I think if we look at the broader situation, I think the UK's diplomatic voice is counting in a stronger way now than was the case a year or two ago."
Last week Middle East Eye revealed that Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar was set to visit Britain this week.
MEE understands that Sa'ar was scheduled to speak at an event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on UK-Israel, but that his trip to the UK will no longer go ahead.
The UK Foreign Office declined to confirm whether the visit has been postponed or cancelled in response to a query from MEE.
The latest developments also come after an Israeli strike killed eight Palestinian workers for the UK charity Al-Khair Foundation as they were setting up tents for displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza on Saturday.
Responding to a question from MEE, on Sunday a Foreign Office spokesperson declined to condemn the attack but said "it is vital that - in all scenarios - civilians are protected, including journalists and humanitarian organisations, who must be enabled to deliver their essential work in safety.
"It is deeply saddening to hear of further loss of life in Gaza, and the UK wants to see the ceasefire continue."
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