UK MP calls for ban on arms sales to Israel amid Gaza war escalation

A British politician on Friday urged the government to enforce a complete ban on arms trade with Israel over its widely condemned conduct in the Gaza war, following the UK’s suspension of trade deals and the imposition of additional sanctions.

Liberal Democrat MP and the party's Foreign Affairs spokesman Calum Miller of Oxfordshire wrote to Foreign Secretary David Lammy in support of the government’s response to what was described as "egregious actions and rhetoric" by the Israeli government amid its devastating assault on Gaza since 7 October 2023.

Lammy announced on Tuesday that the UK would suspend free-trade negotiations with Israel, sanction individuals and organisations involved in settlements in the West Bank- deemed illegal under international law- and summon the Israeli ambassador to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

While expressing his support for the sanctions, Miller proposed that further steps be taken.

He argued that the government must "go further to show the Netanyahu Government that, unless it draws back its expanded military offensive and facilitates the full supply of aid through UN-recognised aid organisations, its actions will have consequences."

Miller, called on the government to immediately ban the export of all UK arms to Israel and to halt trade with all illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

He also urged the government to extend sanctions to Israeli ministers who advocate for the dispossession of Palestinians. The Bicester and Woodstock MP criticised the inflammatory rhetoric publicly voiced by prominent members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, including far-right politicians Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The MP further expressed his disappointment that it had "taken so long for the Government to countenance this move", comparing the Foreign Secretary's actions to those of his predecessor, David Cameron, who had pledged to sanction the two politicians.

The former Prime Minister revealed last year that he had been "working up" plans to impose sanctions against ministers labelled "extremist", such as Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, ahead of the 2024 British election.

"I therefore repeat my request that the Government does everything in its power urgently to enable aid to reach those whose lives depend on it in Gaza," Miller stressed.

Earlier this week, the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada condemned Israel’s "egregious actions" in Gaza and warned of potential joint action if it failed to pause its intensified military offensive in the Palestinian territory.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticised Israel’s continued obstruction of humanitarian aid and denounced inflammatory statements by ministers in Netanyahu’s government who have called for the mass displacement of Palestinians.

However, while the three leaders called for a halt to Israel’s latest military campaign, they stopped short of demanding an immediate end to the war.

Gaza’s health ministry reported on Saturday that at least 3,747 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its military offensive in March, bringing the overall death toll of the war to 53,901- mostly civilians.