Britain's foreign minister, David Cameron, claimed on Tuesday that he was worried that Israel might have breached international law in Gaza amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Cameron also confirmed two British nationals were held hostage in Gaza during his first appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee.
David Cameron Worries About Israel
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 07: United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Cameron speaks at the Aspen Security Forum on December 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. Cameron spoke on the need to continue to provide military aid to Ukraine to stop Russia's advancement and urged the U.S. Congress to pass the stalled funding bill.
During a question-and-answer session with MPs, Cameron was asked if Israel would face a challenge over whether their actions were proportionate at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague. He responded that the stance was "close to that."
Britain urged Israel's military to defend itself against Hamas. However, they also called on its military to show restraint and act within international law while carrying out its offensive in Gaza, which destroyed the Palestinian enclave.
Cameron refrained from directly answering lawmakers about whether he had received legal advice that Israel might have broken international law. He said some incidents had raised questions about whether there were breaches.
Alicia Kearns, a Tory MP and the committee chair, cited previous cases in which Cameron declared that foreign governments had broken international law.
"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," Cameron responded to parliament's foreign affairs committee.
He claimed that he always questioned whether a given incident broke international law, which lawyers would examine and advise him. So far, the advice claimed that Israel has the capacity, the commitment, and the compliance with international law, but it has been questioned numerous times.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Israeli officials to take more action to safeguard civilian facilities and prevent additional harm to civilians amid the growing Palestinian death toll from the Israeli attack.
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Britain's Military Intervention in Libya
Later in the hearing, Cameron defended his decision to intervene in Libya while serving as prime minister, calling criticism of the move "bunk."
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces were the target of an international coalition led by Britain and France that began a campaign of air and missile assaults in March of that year after the regime threatened to invade the rebel-held city of Benghazi.
In 2016, the Foreign Affairs Committee stated that the British military's intervention in Libya was based on an incomplete understanding and erroneous assumptions of the rebellion against the former dictator.
Furthermore, it also heavily criticized Cameron for transforming a limited intervention intended to safeguard citizens into an opportunist policy of regime change based on insufficient intelligence.
Cameron said, "It was right to intervene, it was right to stop Gaddafi killing his own people. He added that it was right to give Libya the chance of a brighter future.
Related Article: The United States Looks Toward Post-War Gaza as Israeli Offensive Presses On
