"Not Unconditionally Supporting Israel" UK Also Draws Line Following US and Germany

David Cameron, the UK Foreign Secretary, warned Israel on the 7th (local time) that "our support is not unconditional." Western powers, which have consistently expressed support for Israel during the Gaza Strip war phase, are taking a tough stance amid the increasing civilian casualties.

In an op-ed for the UK Sunday Times on the same day, Cameron stated regarding Israel, "We expect a proud and successful democracy to comply with international humanitarian law even in extreme situations such as war." This directly targeted Israel's alleged violations of international law surrounding the recent Israeli military bombing of a World Central Kitchen (WCK) relief truck and the mass civilian deaths in Palestine.

David Cameron, UK Foreign Secretary
Photo by Yonhap News

He also warned, "There is a risk of mass famine in the Gaza Strip," urging the Israeli government to "allow more humanitarian aid to be brought in." He added, "The UK, based on cooperation with the US and Cyprus, is working to establish a new temporary pier on the Gaza coast to facilitate rapid and safe aid delivery."

The UK is one of the allies, along with the US and Germany, that have strongly supported Israel's exercise of self-defense rights against Hamas's surprise attacks. However, it is interpreted that the UK has shifted to a tougher stance following the Israeli military's accidental bombing of the WCK relief truck on the 1st. Among the seven WCK relief workers killed in this bombing, three were confirmed to be British.

Other major Western countries have also begun to show changes in their stance toward Israel since the WCK incident. US President Joe Biden warned of the possibility of a policy change toward Israel during a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week, calling attacks on humanitarian activists in Gaza and the overall situation "unacceptable." Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, also urged immediate humanitarian measures from Israel, criticizing, "No more excuses."

Meanwhile, foreign media pointed out that Cameron's warning came amid a heated debate in the UK over whether to continue supplying weapons to Israel. According to Al Jazeera's report on the same day, last week in the UK, over 600 legal professionals, led by three former Supreme Court justices, called on the Israeli government to halt arms sales. Additionally, a Guardian poll showed that 56% of the British public oppose arms sales to Israel.