London: Thanasis Gavos

The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Lord David Cameron admitted that he is concerned that Israel may have violated international law with its operations in the Gaza Strip.

In the first opportunity given to British MPs to put questions to David Cameron, who as a member of the House of Lords does not take part in debates in the House of Commons, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee asked what is the british approach to war in the middle east.

In this context he came under pressure to explain why Britain does not officially recognize that Israel is violating international humanitarian law since it admitted that despite the specific obligation to provide water that it bears as an occupying power, Israel has cut off the supply of water to Palestinian regions.

“If you’re asking me how concerned I am that Israel has potentially taken actions that violate international law, I certainly am,” Lord Cameron said. He said, however, that he has not received an official legal recommendation that Israel is violating international law.

Lord Cameron also said that the short-term goal of the British is to end the conflict and to achieve stability in the region. As for the long-term goal, the British foreign secretary said: “We believe that there will be no real security for either Israel or the Palestinians without moving towards a two-state solution. No truce is truly fully sustainable unless one fully has a political horizon.”

As for the UK’s support for a “sustainable” rather than an “immediate” ceasefire, Lord Cameron insisted it did not harm the country’s relations with the Arab world. It is a “common sense” position, he said, as there can be no truce while Hamas fires rockets and refuses to release all hostages.

David Cameron was criticized by the head of the committee, Conservative MP Alicia Cairns, for admitting she does not know the British government’s official legal position on whether the Gaza Strip is considered Israeli-occupied territory, as she has assured it is. .

The foreign minister also confirmed that two British nationals remain hostages of Hamas.

He was also asked about the statement of the Israeli ambassador in London that the only solution is the complete destruction of the Gaza Strip and commented that he hopes this is not the official position of the Israeli government.

Although he noted that Israel must do more to protect civilians in Gaza, he stressed that he does not consider it a “correct approach” to speak of “genocide”.

He also admitted that the war in the Middle East “distracts the attention” of some international actors from what is happening in Ukraine. He assured, however, of London’s “absolute commitment” to providing support to Kiev.

He also said he wants to see more production of weapons intended for Ukrainian forces.

Asked about the situation in Kosovoexpressed “discomfort” with the attitude adopted by Serbia.

On the subject of China, with which he is “accused” by some Conservative politicians and commentators of maintaining an excessively warm relationship when he was Prime Minister but later away from politics, Lord Cameron commented that “a lot has changed” since then and that “we now have a China that is much more dynamic and aggressive in many different ways.”

He noted that the Foreign Office wants to maintain a relationship with China, but “without naivety”.

Finally, he defended as “the right decision” the British intervention along with other countries in Libya in 2011, which led to the overthrow of Gaddafi.