Britain Suspends Export of Certain Weapons to Israel; Reactions to Netanyahu's Remarks

Protests continue in various cities in Israel, along with reactions to the recent statements of the country's Prime Minister; meanwhile, Britain has suspended the export of certain military items to Israel. Protests and gatherings took place on Monday, September 12, in cities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Rehovot, and Qesariyeh, some of which continued into the night. At the same time, the funeral for Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American citizen and one of six hostages whose bodies were found in the Gaza Strip, was held on Monday in Jerusalem. This ceremony was attended by thousands, including the families of the hostages, the parents of Hersh Goldberg, and Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel. On Monday, a general strike was called by Israel's largest labor union, starting at 6 AM, but after the government of Benjamin Netanyahu complained to the Supreme Labor Court, the strike was ended by court order at 2 PM. Reactions to Netanyahu's remarks during a press conference on Monday followed, with some political figures and families of hostages accusing him of 'lying.' The Hostage Families Association issued a statement calling Netanyahu's remarks 'full of lies' and expressed regret over his statements, accusing the Israeli Prime Minister of having 'no intention of bringing back the hostages.' Yair Lapid, the leader of the Israeli opposition, condemned Netanyahu's statements, saying he 'had years to reclaim the Philadelphi Corridor but did not bother.' In an unprecedented move in the past 10 months, Benjamin Netanyahu attended a press conference and described Israel's continued presence in the Philadelphi Corridor as a 'strategic necessity.' He emphasized that control and oversight of this 14-kilometer road is essential for achieving Israel's goals in the Gaza war, claiming that this corridor serves as a lifeline for the extremist group Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union. In recent weeks, opposition figures in Israel have claimed that Netanyahu has blocked the achievement of an agreement by bringing up issues such as the presence in the Philadelphi Corridor and his opposition to the proposal for a '42-day exit in the first phase of the agreement.' Concurrently, the British government announced on Monday that it is suspending the export of certain military weapons to Israel due to the potential for violating international law. According to the Associated Press, this decision has limited military impact and aims to increase pressure on Israel to end the Gaza war. David Lammy, the British Foreign Secretary, stated that London has concluded that 'there is a clear risk' that the use of some of these weapons could lead to 'serious violations of international humanitarian law.' He mentioned in the British Parliament that this decision pertains to about 30 out of 350 weapons that the British government believes are being used in the current Gaza conflict, including parts for military aircraft, helicopters, and drones. This decision prompted a reaction from Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, who expressed his dissatisfaction on the social media platform X, stating that he is 'deeply disappointed' by the sanctions imposed by the British government against Israel's defense capabilities. Britain is one of Israel's long-standing allies, and its government is under increasing pressure to stop arms exports to Israel due to the high casualties in the Gaza war. The current Gaza crisis began on October 7 of last year with an incursion by the extremist group Hamas into southern Israel, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. In response to this incursion, the Israeli military launched extensive military operations across the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has resulted in over 40,000 deaths so far.