The United Kingdom will once again protect Israel in the event of an attack by Iran, the British envoy to Israel assured Tuesday.
“The UK will be a close ally and is prepared to put its own aircraft and personnel at risk to defend Israel,” Ambassador Simon Walters said, speaking to Israeli journalists from his residence in Ramat Gan.
He recalled that the Royal Air Force had flown alongside Israeli and American pilots during the Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel in April, and added: “Without going into details, on October 1, the forces British armies again played a role in attempting to disrupt the Iranian attack on Israel. »
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Regarding Gaza, Walters said military pressure on Hamas would not bring out the hostages and would not destroy the Palestinian terrorist group.
“I hear people calling for the war to continue until Hamas is wiped out and I think they are deluding themselves,” Walters said.
“They imagine a result that will never happen. It is therefore essential that we recognize this and focus our efforts on reaching a deal for the hostages, as this is the only way to bring them home. »
He blamed the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas for the continuation of the conflict. “Hamas could end this suffering by agreeing to a ceasefire and releasing all hostages immediately and unconditionally. We must be clear that responsibility for the October 7 attacks and the kidnapping of the hostages lies squarely with Hamas. »
Regarding the suspension of some British arms licenses to Israel, Walters said the risk of breaching international law “is clearly present here”.
He pointed out that Israel had not allowed the Red Cross to visit Gaza prisoners arrested for endangering Israel’s security. “If the Red Cross visited the site regularly, it would provide reassurance about the conditions of detention and protect not only the prisoners, but also the guards against accusations.
He added that British NGOs are taking the government to court to try to impose new weapons restrictions on Israel, and that the government is fighting these attempts in court.
Walters also expressed concern about restrictions on Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank as well as attacks by Israeli extremists.
“Ultimately, this is an aspect of the occupation that many Israelis do not see and are not aware of,” he said.
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