UK rejects calls to halt arms sales to Israel
The UK government on Sunday rebuffed calls to follow the US’ lead in halting some arms sales to Israel if it proceeds with a major ground operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city home to 1.4mn refugees.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron, in an interview with the BBC, expressed his opposition to Israel’s plans of an invasion in Rafah but emphasised that ceasing arms sales would ‘ make Hamas stronger’. He claimed that the UK supplies a mere one per cent of Israel’s weaponry, indicating limited leverage in influencing Israeli actions.
Cameron emphasised the need for a comprehensive plan to safeguard civilian lives in the event of any military action.
He underscored the UK’S distinct position from the US, stressing the importance of maintaining diplomatic pressure while prioritising humanitarian aid to Gaza.
‘Strategic choice’
Egypt, meanwhile, said on Sunday its peace treaty with Israel is a ‘strategic choice’ amid reports of tension between the two sides over Tel Aviv’s offensive in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
“The peace agreement with Israel has been Egypt’s strategic choice for 40 years, and it represents a main pillar of peace in the region to achieve peace and stability,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said during a press conference in Cairo with his Slovenian counterpart Tanja Vaillon.
He said there are ‘set mechanisms’ for dealing with any violations of the treaty. “We approach this agreement from this standpoint,” Shoukry added.
Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979 under which Tel Aviv withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula and the two countries normalised their relations.
Media reports emerged about an Egyptian threat to suspend the agreement over Israel’s offensive in Rafah on Egypt’s border.
Egypt has condemned the Israeli attack in Rafah as a ‘dangerous escalation’, but stopped short of terming it a violation of its peace deal with Israel. Israel said last week that its capture of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing was not a violation of the peace agreement with Egypt.
‘Disproportionate’ intervention
Cameron claimed that UK supplies are a mere 1% of Israel’s weaponry, indicating limited leverage in influencing Israeli actions
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on Sunday said Israeli intervention in Gaza is ‘disproportionate’.
In an interview with Vradini daily, Gerapetritis said: “We made it clear from the beginning that Israel has a right to self-defence within the limits of international law and especially humanitarian law. We made it clear that Hamas should not be identified with the Palestinian people. We asked for immediate release of the hostages and additional protection of civilians and open humanitarian channels.”