UK govt lawyers conclude Israel in breach of humanitarian law – media — RT World News
However, the British authorities appear to have chosen to keep the results out of the public domain
British government lawyers have proven that Israel is violating humanitarian law amid its ongoing conflict in Gaza with the Palestinian group Hamas, a senior Conservative Party member claims, according to a leaked audio recording revealed by the Observer newspaper on Saturday.
The chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Cairns, made the comments earlier this month during a Conservative Party fundraiser. “The Foreign Office received formal legal advice that Israel had violated international humanitarian law but the government did not make this public.” Cairns, a former Foreign Office and Defense Department official who has been lobbying the government on the issue, said during the event.
The legal experts' assessment makes the UK effectively complicit in Israeli military abuses, and London should have cut off defense cooperation immediately after presenting its assessment of the situation in Gaza.
“They didn't say that, and they didn't stop arms exports. They imposed some very small sanctions on the Israeli settlers, and everyone agrees internationally that the settlers are illegal, that they should not be doing what they are doing, the ways in which they have carried on and the money that has been pumped in.” Kearns stated.
During the event, Cairns insisted that she, like British Foreign Secretary James Cameron, believed strongly in Israel's right to “Self-defense,” Noting that there are legal limits to its practice.
“The right to self-defense has limits in law. It is not without limits.” She explained, warning that the approach taken by Israel in dealing with the escalation may ultimately endanger its security – and the security of Britain – in the long term.
The authenticity of the recordings obtained by the Observer seems beyond doubt, given that Cairns has been fairly frank about her position on the matter. On Saturday, she also made similar statements, once again urging the government to announce its legal assessment of Israel's actions.
“I remain convinced that the government has completed its updated assessment of whether Israel demonstrates a commitment to international humanitarian law, and that it has concluded that Israel does not demonstrate that commitment, which is the legal decision it must make.” She stated the excuse “Transparency” There was an absolute need for this “Adhering to the rules-based international order.”
Israel launched the operation in Gaza following the incursion of Hamas militants into the southern part of the country last October. During the attack, more than 1,200 people were killed and dozens of hostages were taken to Gaza. The Israeli campaign inflicted severe damage on the Palestinian Strip, causing widespread destruction and killing at least 32,000 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
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