David Cameron: Suspending arms sales to Israel is not a ‘smart path’

However, the foreign minister said it would be wrong for Israel to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah “without a plan to protect the people.”

Residents of the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city were ordered to evacuate. This is another sign that the Israeli military is preparing for a ground attack.

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The US has already threatened to stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons if it launches an attack on Rafah, and Britain is under pressure to do the same.

Speaking to BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, the foreign minister said (below): “The United States is a huge, state-owned supplier of weapons to Israel, including 1,000-pound bombs and everything else.”

“The UK supplies less than 1% of Israel’s weapons and is not a state supplier. We have a licensing system and these licenses can be closed if it is determined that there is a serious risk of serious international human rights violations.”

He further noted that he was pressured to impose an immediate arms embargo several months ago, “and the next thing that happened, just days later, was a massive Iranian attack on Israel.”

“I don’t think it would have been a wise way, and I still don’t think it would have been a wise way,” he said, adding it would only “strengthen Hamas.”

Britain’s arms export regime would prevent the supply of weapons to Israel if there is a “clear risk that the items could be used to commit or facilitate a serious breach of international humanitarian law,” he said.

The US State Department said on Friday there was “substantial” evidence that Israel had violated international law protecting civilians.

Asked whether it would be wrong for Israel to carry out a Rafah offensive, the Foreign Secretary told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “That’s right, without a plan to protect people.”

“For there to be a major offensive in Rafah, there has to be an absolutely clear plan for how to save lives, how to get people out of harm’s way, how to make sure they are fed, how to make sure they have medicine have etc.” accommodation and everything. We have not seen such a plan…so we do not support such an offensive.”

The Tory politician also said he was “always urging the Israelis to reach a hostage deal and a pause in fighting to achieve a sustainable ceasefire,” while urging the nation to “do better” when it comes to humanitarian measures to allow aid into the war-torn area.

But the real pressure should be on Hamas, he added.

“Hamas has been offered a deal that would release hundreds of prisoners from Israeli prisons, which would mean a pause in the fighting to bring urgently needed aid to Gaza, and they are not accepting that deal.”

Israel’s limited operation in Rafah, said to be Hamas’ last significant stronghold, has increased in recent days. She argues that she must invade to disband the group and return hostages.

Lord Cameron said it would be “a risk we should not take” if British troops were stationed in Gaza as part of the international aid effort.

This comes after recent reports that the government is considering sending troops to land humanitarian supplies from a makeshift pier being built by the US military.

The U.S. said no U.S. forces would go ashore and personnel from another country would drive delivery trucks carrying relief supplies from the pier.

The Foreign Secretary told the BBC: “The Prime Minister’s view, which I and others took, that actually putting on British boots on the beach was not a good move.”

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Lord Cameron said it would “probably be done through a contractor”.

He added: “I think there could be targeted attacks on British or American troops and that’s why I think it’s a wise decision.”

He also said the U.K. would not resume funding for the U.N. aid agency UNRWA until investigations into whether its employees colluded with Hamas were completed.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the main aid donor in Gaza, was under investigation over allegations that some of its employees had ties to the militant group. However, the result of an investigation was enough for other countries such as Canada and Australia to restore their cash flow.

“I am becoming more demanding,” he said, adding that he wanted “real commitments” from UNRWA “that they will investigate these things properly, that this will not happen again, that they will change their situation.” and everything else, because you can’t expect us to come back in and start funding an organization when some of their own employees were involved on October 7th.”

Meanwhile, Labor leader Jonathan Ashworth (above) said the UK should “pause arms sales to stop any weapons being used in this Rafah offensive”.

The shadow paymaster general told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “We don’t want this Rafah offensive to continue, it would be completely disastrous.”

“The Americans have stated that they will not hand over weapons that could be used in a Rafah offensive. I say that we should take a similar position.

“We should not sell any British-made weapons or components that were intended to be used in this Rafah offensive.”