Nadine Osman
More than 100 Muslim Labour councillors have called on the Prime Minister to impose an “immediate and complete” halt to the UK’s arms sales to Israel, arguing that continued arms exports would render the UK “complicit” in what they describe as “clear violations of international humanitarian law.”
In a letter dated October 18 to Sir Keir Starmer, the councillors highlighted the “tragic human toll” following Israel’s military actions in response to the October 7 attacks. Palestinian sources report that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in over 42,000 deaths in Gaza, with additional casualties in Lebanon as Israel extended its offensive by invading the country.
The letter, coordinated by the Labour Muslim Network and signed by 114 elected councillors, amplifies the pressure on Starmer, whose firm support for Israel’s right to self-defence has led to recurring tensions within the Labour Party. The Government recently suspended 30 of 350 arms export licences to Israel, affecting equipment such as fighter jet parts, helicopters, and drones. The Foreign Office noted a “clear risk” that these items could be used to breach international humanitarian law. Nevertheless, there are continued calls for further restrictions on arms sales.
The letter’s signatories include prominent figures such as Rochdale Mayor Shakil Ahmed and Wellington Mayor Usman Ahmed, as well as Labour National Executive Committee member and Manchester Councillor Yasmine Dar.
In the letter, the councillors stated: “The tragic human toll we have seen over the past year has been unimaginable. In the past few days alone, we have seen images of Palestinian children and families burnt alive following Israeli military strikes at Al Aqsa Hospital and the continued shelling of schools used as shelter by displaced civilians.” They also referenced reports from the Associated Press, indicating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to cut off humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, a move that could deprive hundreds of thousands of civilians of food and water.
“Over 17,000 children are estimated to have been killed in Gaza by Israeli military attacks in the last year,” the letter continues. “31 hospitals and 88 per cent of schools in Gaza have now been destroyed or severely damaged. The death toll has surpassed 42,000 as we see continued escalation in Gaza and now Lebanon. We must not be complicit in these clear violations of international humanitarian law. It is our moral obligation to act now.”
Starmer said on October 16 that he is “looking at” sanctioning Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, as well as the national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, in response to Smotrich‘s comments that starving civilians in Gaza might be justified and Ben-Gvir’s remarks that perpetrators of settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were heroes. The councillors concluded by urging the Government to suspend all arms sales to Israel until international humanitarian law is fully observed and respected.
Photo: More than 100 Muslim Labour councillors are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to impose an “immediate and complete” ban on UK arms sales to Israel, warning that failure to do so could make the UK complicit in clear violations of international humanitarian law. (Credit: Tim Hammond/No 10 Downing St)
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