British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated Thursday that the United Kingdom would not follow the White House’s lead in suspending certain arms exports to Israel, should a full-scale invasion of Rafah proceed.
This decision comes in the wake of President Joe Biden’s warning that the US would refrain from supplying weapons if an assault on the densely-populated Gaza town escalated.
Cameron emphasized the UK’s stance, stating that they would not support a significant operation in Rafah without a clear plan to protect civilians.
He highlighted a critical distinction between the US and UK approaches to arms exports, noting that while the US is a major state supplier to Israel, the UK issues individual licenses to companies for such exports, constituting a small fraction of Israel’s total weaponry.
The foreign secretary affirmed the UK’s adherence to stringent arms export procedures, which rely on evidence of potential violations of international humanitarian law.
However, this process could take up to six weeks to update, potentially delaying any decision until after a potential Rafah invasion concludes.
Despite pressure from some MPs to halt arms exports to Israel, Cameron emphasized ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the conflict, including promises from Israel to increase aid to Gaza and calls for Hamas to release Israeli hostages held since October attacks.
Cameron underscored the UK’s role in strategic dialogues with Israel but clarified that they do not hold the same position as the US in influencing Israeli actions.
