The SNP MP for Midlothian, Owen Thompson, has called for the UK Parliament to be urgently recalled to ban arms sales to Israel.
He demanded the immediate recall of the House of Commons after the Israeli air strikes on Gaza which killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers including three UK citizens earlier in the week.
Thompson said the Prime Minister must come to Parliament without delay to outline the UK Government’s response to the killing of UK citizens by Israel.
The SNP Chief Whip said: “The SNP has been advocating for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel since October of last year.
“We have consistently urged the UK Government to take stronger action to achieve a prompt cessation of hostilities, including halting arms sales to Israel.
“Despite the compelling evidence of Israel’s violation of international law through its indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza and its punitive measures against the Palestinian population, our calls to cease arms sales to Israel have been repeatedly rebuffed by both the UK Government and the Labour Party.
“Given that three UK citizens were among those tragically killed in the Israeli strike on World Central Kitchen aid workers, it is imperative that the UK Parliament convenes without delay.
“This critical situation necessitates the Prime Minister’s immediate appearance before Parliament to present the UK Government’s response to the loss of UK citizens at the hands of Israel.
“Such an appearance will allow Members of Parliament to scrutinise the government’s actions and provide an opportunity for Parliament to debate and vote on the cessation of arms sales to Israel.”
The charity has confirmed that John Chapman, 57, Jim Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, were among the staff killed when their convoy was struck after unloading food in the Palestinian enclave.
The SNP has warned that “history will rightly cast a harsh judgement on Rishi Sunak if he fails to immediately end arms sales to Israel” – after more than 600 prominent lawyers, academics and former Supreme Court justices backed calls for the UK government to halt sales immediately.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, they warned that the UK government is breaking international law by continuing to arm Israel – citing the International Court of Justices (ICJ) ruling in the genocide case.
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