Belfast vigil hears call for UK to stop arming Israel following deadly attack on Rafah refugee camp

Speaking at a vigil in Belfast this evening (Wednesday 29 May) calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director, has accused the UK government of “aiding and abetting” suspected war crimes by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Addressing a peace vigil outside UK government offices in Chichester Street, central Belfast, Patrick Corrigan, said:

“Suspected war criminals should be arrested, not aided and abetted.

“The UK government has helped to build and maintain a shield of impunity which continues to protect Israeli forces when they carry out human rights violations. 

“With every failure to challenge suspected Israeli war crimes, the UK risks ever-deeper complicity with possible Israeli genocide in Gaza as well as its wider system of apartheid against the Palestinian people.

“It should have happened a long time ago, but the UK must now halt all arms transfers to Israel.

“We need our Government and the whole international community to help end the decades-long system of apartheid against the Palestinian people, and the double standards which mean their lives don’t matter.

“All eyes are now on Rafah: the clock is ticking and people are dying. Ceasefire now.”