Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's office, has walked back Foreign Secretary David Lammy's Monday accusation that Israel is violating international humanitarian law. This comes after the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, stated earlier that day on Sky News that Lammy was representing the government's position.
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03-20, 2025Lammy stated in Parliament on Monday, when questioned about the blockade and its consequences: "It is a violation of international law. Israel, rightly, must defend its security. But we think the lack of aid getting in – it’s been 15 days since aid has got into Gaza – is unacceptable and deeply concerning." However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official spokesperson stated on Tuesday afternoon that the UK government's position remains that there is a "real risk" of breaches of international law in Israel's actions in Gaza.
Meanwhile, McFadden ruled out a full arms embargo on Israel after it unilaterally ended its ceasefire with Hamas by killing over 300 Palestinians without warning on Tuesday morning. The attack on Tuesday targeted displaced Palestinians due to the conflict and was one of the bloodiest bombardments in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war. "We don't have an arms embargo. We have a trading relationship with Israel on arms, you know, that wouldn't lead to an embargo," McFadden said in an interview with Times Radio. "But we've been public about our view about collective punishment. We don't want to see that happen."
The Labour government had never accused Israel of violating international law prior to this week, meaning Lammy's comments in Parliament on Monday represented a significant shift in the UK's position. Independent MP, Apsana Begum, told Middle East Eye that Downing Street's remarks were "shameful" and accused the government of "deliberately muddying the waters." "This pattern of rhetoric and failure to condemn actions, whilst refusing to impose any meaningful consequences, emboldens the Israeli government to continue its campaign of murder, destruction, starvation and displacement in Gaza." Another independent MP, Adnan Hussein, called Lammy's "belated admission" as "welcome." He said: "The government would do well to align with, rather than undermine, the Foreign Secretary's newfound moral compass."
The Council for Arab-British Understanding stated: "Downing Street has taken a disgraceful step in attempting to row back on the Foreign Secretary’s explicit statement accusing Israel of violating international law through its blockade of Gaza. This undermines the government’s claims that it respects international law and exposes a clear division between the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary." Oxfam's Chief Executive, Halima Begum, described the government's move as "simply staggering." "The UK government must immediately condemn these atrocities in the strongest possible terms and end its complicity in this catastrophic crisis."
Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, repeatedly refused to say in an interview with LBC on Tuesday that the UK should consider sanctions against Israel. "I think what we need to do is we need to stop (Israel) starving children, so the question is how do we get them to stop?" she said. "Will sanctions make them stop? No. The reason they will stop is because there needs to be a solution, this is a political situation. Israel needs to have a way in which its country is safe. But they won't be safe unless there is also a Palestinian state that is able to exist alongside it."
McFadden insisted that the UK "has diplomatic influence" and said the country would work to reinstate a ceasefire. "Clearly, we work with our allies to exercise that influence, but I still think the UK's diplomatic voice matters in the world and I think if we look at the broader situation, I think the UK's diplomatic voice matters more now than it did a year or two ago." Last week, Middle East Eye revealed that Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Sa'ar was scheduled to visit the UK this week. MEE understands that Sa'ar was due to speak at an event hosted by the UK-Israel All-Party Parliamentary Group, but his trip to the UK will no longer take place. The Foreign Office has declined to confirm whether the visit was delayed or cancelled as a result of MEE's enquiries.
The latest developments also come after an Israeli strike killed eight Palestinian workers from the UK charity Al-Khair Foundation as they were setting up tents for displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza. In response to questions from MEE, a Foreign Office spokesperson on Sunday declined to condemn the strike but said "it is vital that – in all circumstances – civilians are protected, including journalists and humanitarian organisations, who must be able to carry out their essential work in safety. It is deeply distressing to hear of more lives lost in Gaza, and the UK wants to see a sustained ceasefire."
