Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Cameron defends UK arms sales to 'Israel', Labour MP cites war crimes

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 12 May 2024 22:33
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron defends continued arms sales to "Israel" despite US halts and criticism from Labour MP Zarah Sultana, who accuses the government of abetting war crimes.

  • x
  • Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron delivers a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre in London, Thursday May 9, 2024. (AP)
    Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron delivers a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre in London, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP)

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated on the BBC that while he opposes a major ground offensive in Rafah, the UK will not follow in the US footsteps in halting some arms sales to "Israel". He noted that the UK contributes only 1% to "Israel's" total weapons supply and emphasized that "Israel" needs to better "protect civilians" and ensure the passage of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, Labour's Jonathan Ashworth, among others, expressed opposition to the use of UK-made arms in Rafah.

This week, US President Joe Biden announced that the US would halt weapon supplies to "Israel" if it proceeds with its planned invasion of Rafah without setting a US-approved plan to allegedly protect Palestinians; despite the clear disregard for Palestinian life as the confirmed death toll surpasses 35,000 people.

In response, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv is willing to stand alone if it needs to.

According to Cameron, the last time he was pressured to halt weapons sales to "Israel" was after the Israeli occupation forces killed three UK citizens in a strike on their car, making reference to the deliberate targeting of the World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza earlier in the war.

However, Cameron then added that "a few days later there was a brutal attack by Iran on Israel," making reference to Iran's retaliation to "Israel's" bombardment of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which left several martyred.

Subsequently, Cameron emphasized that "just to simply announce today that we will change our approach on arms exports, it would make Hamas stronger and it would make a hostage deal less likely."

Meanwhile, he expressed a commitment to "hammering away every day" to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, with nothing done on the ground in this regard.

Related News

'Israel' kills reporter Hassan Douhan in Gaza, death toll rises to 246

Francesca Albanese, FPA slam 'Israel's' targeting of Gaza reporters

The Foreign Secretary then acknowledged "Israel's" actions, admitted that "Israel's performance is not good enough," and noted that "Israel has not had a clean bill of health" in terms of facilitating humanitarian aid access in the genocide-stricken and besieged Gaza Strip.

However, Cameron once more reaffirmed the UK's policy vis-à-vis the occupation and said that the UK maintains "a different approach" and that he was "not really interested in message sending" through political moves like suspending weapons sales to Tel Aviv.

He explained, "I'm interested in what can we do to maximize the British pressure and the outcome that will help people in their lives - including getting the hostages, including British nationals, released."

Additionally, he rejected the notion of deploying British troops to Gaza, asserting that it was "a risk that we should not take."

Contradictions within the UK

In a pointed criticism of the UK government, Labour MP Zarah Sultana accused the administration of failing to adhere to its own Strategic Export Licensing Criteria by supplying weapons to "Israel". Speaking to the BBC, Sultana argued that the scale of the arms sales is inconsequential when such weapons could potentially be used in violations of international humanitarian law.

"We are aiding and abetting what are war crimes happening on a daily basis," she stated, underlining the serious nature of the ongoing genocide. 

Additionally, Jonathan Ashworth, a senior member of the shadow cabinet, expressed his concerns about the potential use of British-made weapons in a proposed full-scale offensive into Rafah, describing such a scenario as a "catastrophe beyond description." 

As such, Ashworth emphasized he did not "want to see British-made weapons used" in an invasion in Rafah.

Read more: UK executed 200 spy missions over Gaza to assist 'Israel' in genocide

  • Gaza Strip
  • Weapons to Israel
  • Israel
  • UK
  • United Kingdom
  • David Cameron
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS