David Cameron spoke to a parliamentary committee about whether Israel was “vulnerable to a challenge” from the ICC.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said he is concerned that Israel’s war on Gaza may have included violations of international law, and while the advice he has received so far was that Israel was complying, there were questions to answer.
Speaking to the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Cameron said some of what he had seen during the war in the besieged Palestinian territory was “deeply worrying.”
Asked during a question-and-answer session with lawmakers whether Israel could be “vulnerable to a challenge” from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over whether its actions were proportionate, Cameron said the stance was “close to that”.
While the former prime minister did not directly respond to questions about whether he had received legal advice that Israel may have violated the law, he said some incidents had raised questions about whether there had been violations.
“Am I concerned that Israel has taken measures that might violate international law because this particular location has been bombed, or something? Yes, of course,” Cameron said.
He added that there was always a “question mark” over whether a given incident had violated international law, which lawyers would examine and advise on.
“The advice so far has been that [Israel] have the commitment, capacity and compliance [with international law]but on many occasions that is in doubt,” he said.
The UK has reaffirmed its support for Israel on multiple occasions and backed its right to defend itself against Hamas, but has also called on the Israeli military to show restraint and act within international law in its offensive in Gaza.
The Foreign Affairs Committee examines the work of the UK Foreign Office, to which Cameron was appointed late last year.
During the relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza, at least 23,210 people have been killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and most homes in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed.
Cameron, who sits in the upper house of parliament as an unelected minister, said it would take “a gigantic effort” to rebuild Gaza because the level of destruction is so “vast.”
“We are going to need as many people as possible. It will take more than any country to achieve it,” he stated.
He also said he had seen figures showing that Hamas fighters had lost “more than 50 percent of their ability and capacity” to fire rockets at Israel.
Amid growing concern over the death toll in Gaza and South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Israeli leaders to prevent future harm to civilians and the civil infrastructure.
