AFPWestern governments have come under pressure to halt arms sales to Israel over how it is waging the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is a major weapons exporter, but its military has been heavily reliant on imported aircraft, guided bombs and missiles to conduct what experts have described as one of the most intense and destructive aerial campaigns in recent history.
Campaign groups and some politicians among Israel’s Western allies say arms exports should be suspended because, they say, Israel is failing to do enough to protect the lives of civilians and ensure enough humanitarian aid reaches them.
On Monday, the UK said it was suspending about 30 export licences for military equipment to Israel for use in military operations in Gaza following a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.
UK arms exports to Israel are relatively small compared to Israel’s total, but Israel’s prime minister denounced the UK’s decision as “shameful”.
The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage. More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry says.
Israel insists that its forces are working to avoid civilian casualties, accuses Hamas of deliberately putting civilians in the line of fire, and says there are no limits on aid…
