The UK's three major opposition parties, the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, and Scottish National Party (SNP) have united in calling on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to justify the country's arms trading with Israel. This comes in the wake of an IDF military strike that resulted in the tragic deaths of seven aid workers on Monday.
SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, Humza Yousaf, personally wrote to Sunak demanding an immediate halt to arms sales to Israel from the United Kingdom. Yousaf criticized Sunak's inaction on the arms issue, pointing out that Israel has shown no regard for the International Court of Justice's ruling or the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution.
Liberal Democrat party leader, Ed Davey, reiterated his party's longstanding call for stricter controls on arms exports. The Labour Party, as the main opposition, has stated that arms sales should be suspended if UK government lawyers determine that Israel's actions in Gaza violate international law.
Recent revelations from British newspaper, The Observer, have added fuel to the fire. An audio recording of Conservative MP and Foreign Affairs Committee chair, Alicia Kearns, suggests that UK government lawyers have advised that Israel breached international humanitarian law in Gaza.
The collective pressure from the opposition parties underscores growing concerns over the UK's arms trade with Israel in light of recent events. The government now faces mounting calls to reassess its stance on arms sales and take decisive action in response to the unfolding situation.
