Israel at The Hague: Watching Lord Cameron Squirm, Will It Soon Come Back to Bite Him?

Lord Cameron’s Concerns: Unraveling the Legal Quandary in Israel’s Gaza Campaign

Former Tory Prime Minister David Cameron, now Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, awkwardly evades clear questions about whether Israel violated international law. Yet the facts speak for themselves – Israel’s siege starving Gaza of food, water, and power, alongside its brutal military assault killing thousands, can only be called collective punishment and crimes against humanity.

There is no ambiguity here, only Lord Cameron’s telling reluctance to acknowledge the obvious. By quibbling around clear violations instead of speaking plain truth, he reveals the hollowness of his position. Empty rhetoric cannot disguise the reality – Israel wages war upon a people under unlawful occupation. Cameron lacks the courage to admit this is, of course, influenced by the fact there is an arms deal to be had…

Under the UK’s arms export regime, licenses cannot be granted where there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The Israeli military’s conduct of hostilities in Gaza creates a clear risk of UK arms being used in grave abuses including reinforcing the unlawful blockade and carrying out unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. That is why human rights groups have brought a legal challenge to try to stop the UK from selling arms to Israel.

In recent testimony, Cameron said he regularly consulted government lawyers about incidents in the Gaza war. However, he declined to confirm if legal advice suggested Israel had acted illegally.

Over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed and 59,000 injured since fighting erupted in October 2023 after a Hamas attack reportedly killed 1,200 Israelis. Israel’s resulting actions have prompted allegations of disproportionate and indiscriminate force.

Cameron refused to directly criticise Israel but admitted seeing “deeply concerning” events unfold. He called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and restore water supplies.

Cameron was pressed repeatedly on whether he has received advice from government lawyers saying Israel is in any way in breach of international law, or if he has any grounds to believe they are.

The foreign secretary said he “cannot recall every single bit of paper that has been put in front of me” and it was not his job to make a “legal adjudication”.

Appearing frustrated, Tory MP and chair of the committee Alicia Kearns cited previous instances in which he declared that foreign regimes have breached international law.

Lord Cameron eventually said he was “worried” Israel might have done so.

He said: “Am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed or whatever?

“Yes, of course I’m worried about that.”

Pressed again on whether he has received legal advice, he said “the short answer is no”. However, he said, “it’s not really a yes or no answer”.

He said lawyers “give you lots of advice” about events they are worried about, and their job is to “go away, consult with the Israeli authorities.. ask a bunch of questions” before making a judgement.

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As the civilian death toll mounts, Lord Cameron’s reluctance to denounce apparent violations increasingly jars with public opinion. Many question politicians’ enduring backing of Israel amid allegations of human rights abuses and collective punishment of Palestinians.

Lord Cameron’s muted response also contrasts with stronger condemnation from other nations. There are growing calls for legal accountability through international courts.

As excuses for the continued violence diminish, Lord Cameron and the UK government face intensifying scrutiny over their qualified criticism. Failure to meaningfully challenge Israel’s conduct now appears evasive and bereft of principle.

With evidence indicating violations of international law, Lord Cameron’s vague expressions of concern lack credibility. The UK must reassess its position on the Gaza crisis and endorse transparent legal processes for alleged war crimes. Justice demands politicians place principles over political expediency.

It comes as Israel prepares to defend itself at The International Court of Justice in The Hague this week, after South Africa accused it of genocide in its war against Hamas.

Gaza’s 2 million residents, half of them children, suffer under siege as Israel chokes off vital supplies of water, food and medicine. Disease spreads in squalid conditions as bombs fall without pause. The world pleads for an immediate end to the horror, but the dying screams continue unheeded.

Inside overwhelmed hospitals, corpses pile up in blood-slicked corridors with morgues filled far beyond capacity. Doctors describe mothers clutching dead infants, their grief punctuated by endless explosions.

Hideous wounds scar Gaza’s children, scars that no child should have to bear. Yet the broken casualties keep flooding in as makeshift wards sprawl across bloodstained floors. Even before this onslaught, Gaza’s health system verged on collapse. Now all endurance expires.

With limited resources after weeks of bombardment, hospitals struggle to cope with the endless influx of shredded bodies. The world cries out, as the dying can no longer plead – when will Gaza’s torment end?

If global institutions retain any shred of integrity, now is the time to act. Israel’s disproportionate use of force reveals an intent to collectively punish Palestinians. Efforts to eliminate them as demographic obstacles.

This is no war, but outright massacre of a people under occupation. Genocide in all but name. Gaza’s mounting death toll exposes the abject failure of politicians like Lord Cameron who rationalise Israeli aggression, of course, there’s that arms deal to be done! Empty rhetoric must give way to action ending Palestine’s historic injustice.

The UK must confront Israel’s human rights abuses and withdraw unconditional support for its campaign of annihilation. Justice demands acknowledging disproportionate force and backing international legal accountability. Only principle and moral clarity – not political expediency – can halt the extermination of the Palestinian people.