Caabu Press Release: Downing Street overrules Foreign Secretary’s final recognition that Israel is violating international law - 18 March 2025
In a disgraceful move, No 10 Downing Street has tried to retract the clear statement of the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy accusing Israel of violating international law with its blockade of Gaza. It undermines the government’s claims that it respects international law and exposes a clear chasm between the Prime Minister and his Foreign Secretary.
Lammy had acknowledged for the first time in Parliament on 17 March that Israel is violating international law through the reimposition of its full blockade on 2.3 million civilians in Gaza living under Israel’s unlawful occupation. This was a welcome if belated admission of Israel’s criminal conduct, something that should have been stated many months before, not least when Israel first imposed such a blockade on 9 October 2023.
The Israeli blockade prevents the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza. It is collective punishment of a civilian population and represents the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Israel reimposed this full blockade on 2 March, but has restricted aid including food, water, medicine and power to varying degrees throughout the last 17 months reducing the Palestinian population of Gaza to famine level conditions in many areas.
The Israeli use of starvation as a weapon of war was one of the key factors in the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants against Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu and then Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant in November 2024. The court, determined that “both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
Having acknowledged Israel is violating international law, the British government should have been announcing measures to demonstrate consequences for what is a major breach. Above all it should end all military cooperation with Israel.
The government should also be demanding Israel cease the resumption of its full military aggression on Gaza and accelerating the process of genocide there. Already Israel has killed over 400 Palestinians in the first hours of this aggression. The UK should be calling on Israel to end this operation immediately and adhere to the deal that it signed in January but has consistently violated.
Commenting on this, Caabu Director Chris Doyle said that “Downing Street has serious questions to answer about the government’s continued complicity with Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We have raised the illegal blockade with David Lammy and other Ministers repeatedly since October 2023 and most recently directly with a Foreign Office Minister last week. We cannot have a business-as-usual relationship, which is why it is welcome that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will not be coming to the UK this week.”
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Notes to editors:
- For more information or interviews contact Chris Doyle on +44 (0)7968 040281
