AS THE death toll in Gaza tops 33,000, calls are mounting for an ethics probe into whether Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron and Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch are violating the ministerial code over Britain’s arms sales to Israel.
MPs have faced increasing calls to stop arms sales after three British aid workers were killed in an attack by Israeli forces on Monday.
Campaign Against Arms Trade says the engine of the drone used in the attack was produced in Britain by UAV Engines.
More than 600 lawyers signed a letter warning Britain to suspend the sales, or risk committing serious violations of international humanitarian law.
It added that nationals responsible for aiding and abetting international crimes are liable for prosecution.
In January, documents filed in High Court showed that Lord Cameron recommended British arms sales to Israel despite “serious concerns” in the Foreign Office that it had breached international law.
The document was filed in defence to a challenge by Global Action Network and Palestinian rights group Al-Haq, which said Britain had a “legal and moral obligation” to not grant the exports.
Ms Badenoch signed off on the exports, with applications handled by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
MPs have urged Lord Cameron to reveal whether he has received legal advice on continuing the licences.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, has written to ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, calling for a probe into whether Lord Cameron and Ms Badenoch may have breached the ministerial code by not publishing the advice if they have received it.
She said they have obligations “to prevent the exports of arms to Israel” if legal advice they have received shows Israel is not compliant with international law.”
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy backed calls for ministers to publish advice they may have received and suspend arms sales if there is a risk weapons could be used in “a serious breach of international humanitarian law.”
On Wednesday, the Public and Commercial Services Union, wrote a letter requesting an urgent meeting with the DBT to discuss “the legal jeopardy faced by civil servants who are continuing to work on this policy.”
It said: “Given the implications for our members, we believe there are ample grounds to immediately suspend all such work.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar became the latest leader to back calls to halt arms sales.
Speaking to BBC Scotland today, he said that Israel had “clearly” breached international law.
Lindsey German, from Stop the War Coalition, which has been jointly organising protests calling for a ceasefire said: “Even the Establishment is finally being forced to row back on its unequivocal support for Israel, although its attacks on the anti-war movement continue.
“Our movement needs to escalate everywhere so that our demand that the UK government stops arming Israel can no longer be ignored.”
Regional protests will take place tomorrow including in Brighton, London, Liverpool, Bristol and Cardiff, and on April 13 and 20, with a national demonstration on Saturday April 27.
