UK reportedly threatens arms embargo against Israel for refusing visitation rights to Hamas prisoners
Israel denies visitation rights to Hamas terrorists who carried out Oct. 7 atrocities
Great Britain threatened to cut off arms exports to the State of Israel for its decision to deny captured Hamas terrorists visitation rights, according to a Ynet News report on Thursday.
UK officials demanded that Israel change its policy and allow diplomatic personnel or Red Cross workers to visit terrorists of Hamas’ elite Nukhba Force, which led the surprise invasion of Israel on Oct. 7 and carried out many of the atrocities that day.
The demand came after a delegation of British lawyers visited Israel, accusing it of breaching international law by failing to provide a list of detainees and denying Red Cross access for visits.
Israel opposes such visits, arguing that under international law it can deny those visits due to security exceptions.
UK Foreign Minister David Cameron reportedly warned that if the current situation continued, he wouldn’t be surprised if an arms embargo were to be imposed against Israel across Europe.
The Hamas terror organization has not allowed the Red Cross to visit Israeli hostages being held captive in the Gaza Strip, despite repeated pleas by the Israeli government.
Israeli government Spokesman Eylon Levy posted a video in December showing Prime Minister Netanyahu in a meeting with Red Cross representatives admitting they had not even attempted to get access to the hostages. In response, the Israeli leader asked them to “try.”
A former Israeli hostage is now suing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for not acting according to its mandate to visit the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and not guaranteeing their safety or taking action to assist in their release.
On Tuesday, Israel’s National Security Council discussed a petition submitted by the Civil Rights Association demanding that Hamas prisoners be allowed visits, without coming to a final decision.
However, all participants, including National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and representatives from all security branches, agreed that visits to the Nukhba terrorists shouldn’t be allowed.
“The mandate ended in 1948; we will manage without Britain’s weapons. There will be no visits to the Nukhba,” a senior security official told Ynet News in response to the UK's arms embargo threat.
Britain’s threat comes amid a growing wave of international criticism of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war.
Canada’s recent declaration of an arms embargo raised concerns in the Israeli government that other, more important nations may soon follow suit.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
