Far from being ashamed of the UK government’s decision (Netanyahu condemns ‘shameful’ UK suspension of some Israel arms sales, 3 September), I am relieved that, at last, ministers are acknowledging international humanitarian law in assessing the situation in Gaza, where devastation of civilian infrastructure and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians have been caused by Israeli military action.
Many would say that the evidence of contravention of international humanitarian law by Israel is very clear and that Israel has gone far beyond a valid defence of its people in response to the dreadful attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas in October 2023. Many would wish to see the flow of weapons to Israel by its allies reduced much further in the light of so many innocent children killed by Israeli actions, whether by bombing or by malnutrition or disease due to lack of food and clean water.
A YouGov poll in April recorded that 58% of respondents would support the UK ending the sale of arms to Israel for the duration of the Gaza conflict, with 18% opposing. The hypocrisy of allied countries supplying lethal weapons while calling repeatedly for a ceasefire is plain as day to most of the UK public.
The UK government has taken a small step to addressing this conflict of interests, which includes Israel’s right to defend its citizens. At the very least it brings the role of international humanitarian law into the spotlight, hopefully enabling more exposure of contraventions by those who claim to abide by it.
Paula Riseborough
Bath
• The UK is cancelling 30 out of 350 arms licences to Israel. As a start, this is welcome, but are we seriously to believe that 320 licensed arms contracts do not contain anything that can be used to kill innocent children, women and men in Gaza?
Michael McLoughlin
Wallington, London
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