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‘No restraint at all’: More reaction from UK to Israel’s Gaza City offensive
There has been a lot of reaction to Israel’s ground assault to seize Gaza City and the UN’s genocide finding from the UK, a country closely allied with Israel.
Diane Abbott, a veteran Labour MP, said there seems to be “no restraint at all on Israel’s actions … certainly not from its allies like Britain and the United States”.
The Scottish National Party has reiterated a call for a Palestinian state to be recognised as a step “towards peace and a two-state solution”.
Reacting to the UN report, which said genocide is taking place in Gaza, the leader of the Welsh party Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has called on PM Starmer to tell Trump, who is arriving in the UK today on his unprecedented second state visit, that action needs to be taken against Israel.
Also responding to the UN report, the Green Party posted on X: “Only last week our government were denying this reality and continue to sell arms to Netanyahu’s genocidal regime.”
UK urged to halt arms exports to Israel after UN genocide findings
Hannah Bond, CEO of the international humanitarian charity ActionAid, has welcomed the UN commission of inquiry’s finding that Israel is committing genocide and has called on the UK government to “halt all arms exports to the Israeli government immediately” or risk complicity.
Bond said the UK government has “dithered for long enough” and said it shouldn’t allow “today’s findings to fall on deaf ears”.
“The UK must take decisive action now to bring about an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and it must ensure that there is full accountability for all war crimes, crimes against humanity and atrocities that have taken place throughout this long and devastating war,” she added.
Mounting criticism of UK arms sales to Israel
The UK faces mounting pressure over two explosive developments: Israel’s announcement of its assault on Gaza City and the damning UN report accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel’s conduct in Gaza has been a big issue in UK politics for several reasons. The UK has historically considered Israel a close ally and has sent RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza – which it attempted to hide. It has also continued arms sales, and senior government officials have repeatedly rejected accusations of genocide.
Following the UN commission’s findings this morning, these positions are now under intense scrutiny.
In cases where the government has come under pressure for specific acts by Israel’s army, which have been raised by MPs, it has often deferred to Israeli investigations, which almost always find no wrongdoing, or said the government would look into the issue.
However, of the 413 incidents examined in which potential violations of international humanitarian law may have occurred, the UK government said it had insufficient evidence to make a decision in 411.
