Israel is breaking international law in Gaza, UK says for first time

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Israel is breaking international law in Gaza, Britain has said for the first time, as David Lammy accused Binyamin Netanyahu’s government of “starving children”.

The foreign secretary said that the two-week long blockade of food, fuel and medicine imposed by Israel on Gaza was “appalling and unacceptable”.

He urged Israel to allow humanitarian trucks back into Gaza and said that the hold-up in deliveries to 2.3 million Palestinians was “hugely alarming and very worrying”.

Palestinian children wait in queues for food in Khan Yunis, Gaza ABED RAHIM KHATIB/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES

Britain has avoided making definitive judgements about the legality of Israel’s conduct since the October 7 terror attacks of 2023.

The UK, which has been keen to avoid damaging its deep intelligence-sharing relationship with Tel Aviv, has previously said that Israel’s military actions “risk” breaching international humanitarian law.

whats_a_quasar on March 17th, 2025 at 20:58 UTC »

u/Calvinball90 wrote a good analysis of this situation on r/internationallaw. The TLDR is that as the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is obligated to facilitate the supply of humanitarian aide by the Geneva Convention and by customary law obligations. Totally preventing aide from entering Gaza is a clear-cut violation of international law.

https://www.reddit.com/r/internationallaw/comments/1j2rgha/does_israels_recent_decision_to_block_all/

DeciusCurusProbinus on March 17th, 2025 at 19:51 UTC »

What is the UK gonna do about it? Sanction Israel?

TimesandSundayTimes on March 17th, 2025 at 19:34 UTC »

Israel is breaking international law in Gaza, Britain has said for the first time, as David Lammy accused Biyamin Netanyahu’s government of “starving children”.

The foreign secretary said that the two-week long blockade of food, fuel and medicine imposed by Israel on Gaza was “appalling and unacceptable”.

He urged Israel to allow humanitarian trucks back into Gaza and said that the hold-up in deliveries to 2.3 million Palestinians was “hugely alarming and very worrying”