British News |
UK’s Starmer defends partial Israel arms halt as ‘legal decision,’ not policy change |
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday defended his government’s partial suspension of arms exports to Israel over fears they could be used in a breach of humanitarian law, asserting this was “a legal decision” rather than one of policy. Starmer said that Monday’s announcement to suspend 30 of 350 arms export licenses did not signify a change in UK support for Israel’s right to self-defense. He also said that allies “understand” the UK’s move. “This is a difficult issue, I recognize that, but it’s a legal decision, not a policy decision,” Starmer told lawmakers during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session in parliament. He said the decision was taken following a review by the foreign ministry into Israel’s conduct of its war against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip. The review was launched by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy shortly after Starmer’s center-left Labour Party swept to power in early July after a landslide general election victory over the Conservatives. “We will of course stand by Israel’s right to self-defense but it’s important that we are committed to the international rule of law,” Starmer said. The partial ban covers items that could be used in the current war in Gaza including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones but not parts for advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets. |
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World News |
Ukraine war latest: Poland to ramp up ammunition production amid fears Putin will attack NATO |
Poland wants to ramp up its production of 155mm artillery rounds in the hope of ensuring sufficient supplies if Russia attacked NATO, a senior official has told Reuters. Some NATO officials say the Kremlin might be ready militarily to attack countries that are members of the alliance in five to eight years’ time, once it has rebuilt its forces after the war in Ukraine. Moscow has regularly dismissed Western suggestions that it might consider an attack on NATO. “Our ambition… is to have the ability to fill up Polish warehouses in parallel to achieving a full, independent capacity to produce ammunition in Poland, within five to eight years,” Maciej Idzik, board member of the state-owned Polish Armaments Group, said. Demand for 155mm artillery rounds has soared in the wake of The European Union is seeking to expand the bloc’s ammunition production capacity to two million shells annually by the end of 2025 by allocating €500m (£421m) in funding to increase shell supplies to Ukraine and replenish EU stockpiles. |
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Israel News |
Netanyahu says Israeli forces won’t leave Philadelphi corridor until guarantee it’s not used as Hamas ‘supply line’ |
Israel will not remove its troops from a narrow strip of land on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt until there is a guarantee it can never be used as a supply line for Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu has said. The area of scrubland and sand dunes, known as the Philadelphi corridor, was seized by his forces in May and has become a key obstacle in talks to try to secure a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister has insisted on retaining control of the corridor, where his troops have uncovered dozens of tunnels which officials say have been used to supply Hamas with weapons and ammunition. He told foreign media that his country’s three “war goals”: destroying Hamas, releasing all hostages and ensuring Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel, could not be achieved without control of the corridor. |
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