UK rights groups call on government to condemn Israeli attacks on Syria

UK rights groups have called on the British government to condemn Israel’s attacks on Syria and demand the withdrawal of Israeli troops, ending their “unlawful presence” in the country.

In a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy sent on Tuesday, the groups - including War On Want, the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and the Global Legal Action Network (Glan) - also expressed concerns that Israel may be using UK-made weapons in its strikes.

“There is a chasm between the current government’s stated intention to be the government of international law and its actual conduct and statements,” the groups wrote.

“In this context, all UK arms transfers that risk being used in violations of international law in Syria by any party should be reviewed to ensure compliance with UK domestic and international law.”

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) declined on Tuesday to confirm whether recent Israeli attacks on Syria had been factored into assessments of Israel's commitment to complying with international humanitarian law.

Israeli warplanes have bombed Syria every day since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on 8 December.

At least 473 strikes, primarily targeting military sites, have destroyed naval vessels, fighter jets, air defence systems and ammunition depots, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

At the same time, Israeli troops have seized the UN-operated buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights and advanced deeper into Syria’s Quneitra province, pushing to within 25km of Damascus.

Some analysts believe Israel is shoring up its defences to maintain control of the strategic Golan Heights, which it has occupied since 1967. Others fear Israel is using the chaos of the moment to seize and secure additional Syrian territory.

Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Jolani, said on Saturday that Syria would not enter into a war with Israel.

Nevertheless, Israeli attacks on Syria have continued this week, destroying military sites along the coastal Tartus region, with SOHR reporting some of the heaviest strikes seen since 2012.

Last week, Lammy told MPs that Israel had "legitimate security concerns", citing the presence of the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda in Syria.

"It is for all of those reasons that we want an inclusive society that supports everyone, but none of us can have truck with terrorist groups."

The rights groups, however, counter that a state's use of force on another state "can only be justified on the condition of an actual or imminent armed attack from that state or if authorised by the UN Security Council".

"Given the absence of these justifications, Israel's use of force is unlawful. Moreover, the scale and severity of the attacks are serious and arguably constitute aggression," the groups wrote.

"The UK government risks further undermining international law by not only refusing to condemn Israel's unlawful acts but by - in statements of the foreign secretary and other cabinet ministers - appearing to support them, including Israel's protracted illegal occupation of the Golan."

Middle East Eye asked the foreign office whether Israel's attacks in Syria had been factored into assessments of its compliance with international humanitarian law and was directed to comments made by a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

When asked on Monday if Israel's actions were peaceful, the spokesperson said: "We all want to see a situation that translates to a peaceful outcome that protects civilians, and we call on all countries to uphold international law and will continue to work with allies to see a peaceful transition."