New UK defence secretary stands by Israel war crimes remarks

Britain’s new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting on Wednesday defended his previous remarks accusing Israel of committing war crimes, saying he would not distance himself from comments already on the record, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to journalists at the Farnborough International Airshow, Streeting said Israel must be judged by the same standards applied to Britain and its other allies, while maintaining that the country had the right to defend itself.

Asked whether he still stood by his past remarks that Israel had committed war crimes now that he was defence secretary, Streeting said he was not distancing himself from those comments.

“I have expressed very clearly my concerns about Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.. My comments are there. They are published. They are on the record. I am not going to pretend I didn’t make those comments,” he said.

In previously published messages, Streeting had also accused the Israeli government of using the language of ethnic cleansing and behaving like a “rogue state.”

He added that being a friend of Israel did not mean avoiding criticism, saying: “But I also hold Israel, as a friend and ally, to the same standard that we hold ourselves to. That is the standard which should be applied to Israel. That is the standard that I think, I fear, they have fallen short of.”

Streeting was also asked whether the UK should continue purchasing Israeli weapons. He said decisions on procurement, trade agreements and diplomatic relations were made through established government frameworks rather than by him alone.

The ceasefire, which has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, has been repeatedly strained by Israeli airstrikes, ground incursions and continued restrictions on border crossings, with only limited humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli violations of the ceasefire since it took effect have killed 1,158 Palestinians and injured 3,756 others.

The ceasefire followed two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, launched on Oct. 8, 2023.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, injured over 173,000 others and damaged or destroyed around 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.