• Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with European leaders at the beginning of a video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, on March 15, 2025. (AP)

The UK Prime Minister’s office has withdrawn a statement made by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, whereby he accused "Israel" of violating international law by blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza. Lammy had told the House of Commons on Monday that "Israel" had breached international law, but on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer clarified that the country was only “at risk” of doing so. This clarification follows a series of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that killed over 400 Palestinians.

The spokesperson emphasized that while the Israeli actions in Gaza were "at clear risk" of breaching international humanitarian law, it remained the responsibility of the courts to make such determinations. “The government is not an international court,” the spokesperson noted.

The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) criticized the reversal, calling it a “disgraceful move” that undermines the government’s commitment to international law. It also highlighted a growing divide between Lammy and Starmer.

Lammy’s comments focused on "Israel’s" blockage of essential aid, including food, fuel, and medicine, from entering Gaza. “This is a breach of international law. Israel quite rightly must defend its own security. But we find the lack of aid — it’s now been 15 days since aid got into Gaza — unacceptable, hugely alarming and very worrying,” Lammy had stated.

'The Israeli blockade on Gaza is unacceptable'

On Tuesday, Lammy told Bloomberg that he “could have been clearer” in his remarks, acknowledging that these matters should be handled by the courts. “It’s difficult to see how denying humanitarian assistance to a civilian population can be compatible with international humanitarian law,” he said, reiterating that the blockade was “unacceptable” and stressing the need for aid to flow into Gaza.

Lammy condemned the escalation, calling the reported civilian casualties “appalling”. He affirmed "Israel’s right to security" but emphasized that “all parties must re-engage with negotiations to get the remaining hostages out, we do need to continue to surge aid into Gaza, and a secure and permanent end to this conflict is the only way out.”

CAABU welcomed Lammy’s recognition of "Israel’s" actions but argued that the UK government should take further action to hold Tel Aviv accountable. CAABU’s director, Chris Doyle, criticized Downing Street’s ongoing complicity with "Israel’s" conduct and noted that the illegal blockade had been raised repeatedly with UK ministers since October 2023. Doyle also welcomed the cancellation of an Israeli official’s visit to the UK this week, stating, “We cannot have a business-as-usual relationship.”