FIRST Minister Humza Yousaf has written to Rishi Sunak demanding “an immediate end to arms sales to Israel” – and calling out the Prime Minister for ignoring his previous letter.
The SNP leader’s challenge to his Tory counterpart comes after the Israeli military killed seven aid workers in Gaza, including three British nationals, in what media outlets have concluded were targeted attacks.
On Wednesday, SNP MP Chris Law wrote to the UK Government urging them to release legal advice on whether Israel had breached international law in Palestine.
Targeting aid workers is against international law, and the Conservative chair of the House of Commons select committee on foreign affairs, Alicia Kearns, has said she believes the Foreign Office “has received official legal advice that Israel has broken international humanitarian law but the Government has not announced it”.
READ MORE: 'The civilian death toll is intolerable': Read Humza Yousaf's full letter to Rishi Sunak
The UK would also be obliged to prevent arms exports to Israel if the Government thinks they may be used to breach international humanitarian law.
In his letter to Sunak, Yousaf wrote: “In my letter to you of February 23, I called upon the UK Government to ban the license of arms exports from the UK to Israel, given the risk of increasing bloodshed caused by Israel’s threat to carry out a ground offensive into Rafah.
“I note that I have yet to receive a response and you have taken no such action, despite the death-toll continuing to increase.
“The latest tragedy, which saw three British aid workers killed amongst others by an Israeli air strike against a World Central Kitchen convoy, has caused global outrage.
“I note your public statement calling for an immediate investigation, however over 190 humanitarian workers have died in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, with no end in sight, no accountability, and little or no sign of Israel paying heed to the International Court of Justice’s ruling or the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution.
“In spite of this, the UK Government continue to allow British-based companies to arm Israel despite the fact that Israel has killed children, women, aid workers and bombed hospitals, schools and refugee camps.
“I have said repeatedly that Israel has the right to defend itself and called for hostages to be released. I believe, however, that Israel’s actions have long since gone beyond a legitimate response.
“Enough is enough. The Israeli government must be held to account.”
Yousaf added: “I therefore write again to demand an immediate end to arms sales to Israel from the United Kingdom. The civilian death toll is intolerable, as is the killing of humanitarian workers who deliver vital aid to Palestinians facing starvation and violence at the hands of this Israeli government.
“By not stopping arms sales to Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians.”
In February, scores of UN experts said that the UK Government must stop the export of weapons or weapon parts to Israel “immediately” or its officials could face individual legal prosecution.
However, the Tory government has refused to shift position.
On Tuesday, Labour also came under fire after one of its most senior MPs said the party did not have an issue with selling weapons to Israel, claiming there was no evidence the country had broken international law in Gaza.
On Wednesday, the party issued a statement from shadow foreign secretary David Lammy saying arms exports should stop if UK Government lawyers have found clear risk of serious breaches of international law by Israel.
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