https://www.declassifieduk.org/when-israel-bombed-british-doctors-using-uk-weapons/
An airstrike on a medical compound in Gaza exposes Britain’s complicity with Israeli war crimes.
On 18 January 2024, a bomb exploded beside a villa in Gaza, housing international doctors working for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
Despite the building being “deconflicted” — a designation meant to ensure its protection under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) — the strike injured two staff members and left the structure severely damaged.
Among the survivors was Amer Shoaib, a British orthopaedic surgeon working for MAP UK. Dr Shoaib, a veteran of the Royal Army Medical Corps, narrowly escaped the attack.
“Everything went completely white, and the ceiling and windows caved in,” Dr Shoaib recalls. “We were lucky. It was a minor miracle just because of where the bomb landed.”
An investigation by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has since revealed troubling evidence about the attack.
The findings suggest the airstrike may have involved UK-manufactured components, raising serious concerns about Britain’s role in the violence in Gaza.
The bomb used in the attack on MAP’s villa, potentially a GBU-32 (Mk 83) equipped with a delay fuse, was delivered by an F-16 fighter jet.
These jets, outfitted with advanced missile-launching kits and display systems supplied by British defence giant BAE Systems, have been integral to Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza.
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Documents revealed in the High Court show that licences for F-35 components were excluded from the September suspension due to their “profound impact on international peace and security” – alluding to Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with the US, which leads the F-35 program.
This carve-out raises ethical concerns, as it openly acknowledges the risk of these components contributing to serious violations of IHL but – in the absence of a full-scale arms export ban – appears to still prioritise commercial and strategic interests.
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Original article at https://www.declassifieduk.org/when-israel-bombed-british-doctors-using-uk-weapons/
