Netanyahu criticises British government’s ‘contradictory’ messages regarding its support for Israel

September 19 () –

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday criticised the UK government’s “contradictory” messages regarding its support for Israel, referring to the suspension of 30 of the 350 British arms export permits to the country while continuing to reiterate the right to defend itself against the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

“After the Hamas massacre on October 7, the previous British government was clear in its support. Unfortunately, the current government is sending contradictory messages. They say Israel has the right to defend itself, but they undermine our ability to exercise that right,” Netanyahu said in an interview with the British newspaper ‘Daily Mail’.

The Israeli president was referring both to London’s withdrawal of objections to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in mid-May against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, and to the decision to suspend 30 of the 350 arms export permits that currently exist for Israel, on the grounds that there is a “clear risk” that the equipment could be used to perpetrate “serious violations of international humanitarian law.”

In this regard, Netanyahu has criticised the “misguided” Keir Starmer administration for having sent “a horrible message” to Hamas by undermining Israel’s ability to fight them.

The Israeli army launched an offensive against Gaza following the attacks on October 7, which left around 1,200 dead and nearly 250 kidnapped. The offensive has so far left around 41,275 Palestinians dead, according to the Gazan authorities, controlled by Hamas, a figure to which must be added more than 700 dead in the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the hands of Israeli forces or settlers.