Cameron to keep arms flowing to ‘israel’

Muhammad Amin

Suspending British arms sales to “israel” “would make Hamas stronger and it would make a hostage deal less likely, foreign minister David Cameron said at the weekend.

Even as the Nazi state intensified its starvation blockade of the enclave, he added it would be “not wise” to suspend arms sales to Israel, despite expressing concerns over the country’s planned escalation in Rafah.

Cameron said he disagreed with US President Joe Biden who suggested some restrictions if Israel attacked Rafah.

“The last time I was urged to do that, I didn’t do that, and just a few days later there was a brutal attack by Iran on Israel … I think it would have sent an entirely wrong message,” he said, referring to Iran’s retaliatory missile attack on Israel last month.

“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.”

“israel’s” prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade Rafah to uproot Hamas.

At least 34,971 Palestinians have been killed and 78,641 others wounded since Israel’s genocide on Gaza began in October.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Gaza faces an “epic humanitarian disaster” if Israel launches a full-scale ground operation. Food organistions are set to run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza “by tomorrow” as “israel” keeps border crossings shut.

France also called on Israel to halt its attack in Rafah and to reopen the border crossing.

An attack could cause “a catastrophic situation for the civilian population of Gaza”.

It urged Israel to return to negotiations, “the only possible path to lead to the immediate release of hostages and obtain a lasting ceasefire”.

Cameron said his government could not support Israel’s attack on Rafah “unless they have a plan” to protect civilians.

“We have not seen that plan so we do not support a major operation in Rafah,” he told the BBC.