The United Kingdom announced that it has joined with France and Algeria to call for an urgent meeting at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while the Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the UK was considering sanctions on Israeli cabinet ministers.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the humanitarian situation in Northern Gaza remains dire, with the civilian population having limited access to basic services and food. He said the goal of the requested UNSC discussion was to ensure Israel protects civilians and that humanitarian routes remain open, as is required under the International Humanitarian Law provisions of the Geneva Convention.
Israel has been accused of violating articles of the Geneva Convention, including Article 18, which protects civilian hospitals in their bombing campaigns, Article 23, which ensures free passage of medical, food, and clothing to civilian populations, in their blockade, and Article 49, which protects civilian populations against forced deportations, alongside other alleged violations. The UK called for an immediate ceasefire, to allow more humanitarian aid and for the release of hostages. Last month the UK also suspended around 30 arms export licenses to Israel for use in Gaza over international humanitarian law concerns.
The US has also raised concerns with Israel’s alleged crimes in Gaza, with a leaked 15 October letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stating that Washington would cut military aid to Israel if it did not allow at least 350 aid trucks per day, rescind evacuation orders when “there are no operational needs,” and ensue the Jordanian armed forces are able to enter Gaza to administer aid.
Starmer also said the UK was considering sanctioning Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The prime minister said these considerations were in response to Smotrich stating that it was “justified and moral” to starve Palestinian civilians until the Israeli hostages are returned, in apparent contravention of Article 23 of the Geneva Convention.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Smotrich. Smotrich has since stated that his comment was misunderstood. Starmer added that the UK was considering sanctioning Ben-Gvir for stating that the perpetrators of settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were heroes following clashes that resulted in the death of a Palestinian teenager.
