BRITAIN was accused of emboldening Israel to commit further atrocities today.

Israel continued its murderous rampage across the Middle East, bombing Yemen, Syria, and Gaza over the last week.

Tel Aviv also invaded neighbouring Lebanon after killing over 1,000 people in the country in a fortnight.

Iran launched multiple missiles at Israeli targets on Tuesday evening in response, which was “utterly condemned” by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a national address.

Affirming his support for Tel Aviv, he said: “We stand with Israel, and recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression.”

Sir Keir emphasised the need for “de-escalation” in the region and called on Iran to “stop these attacks.”

That evening, Israel stepped up its bombardment of Gaza, which has already killed at least 40,000 Palestinians, murdering dozens more in attacks on an orphanage and a school-turned shelter. 

Ben Jamal, director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: “Keir Starmer was quick to announce he ‘completely condemns’ Iran’s missile strikes but he has never found these words to address Israel’s genocide in Gaza, strikes on the Iranian embassy, or attacks on civilians in Lebanon. The hypocrisy is stark.

“It is appalling that the UK government would ally itself with a state committing genocide and violating the sovereignty of neighbouring states though indiscriminate bombing that in past week alone have killed over 1,000 people, mostly civilians.”

Investigative website Declassified revealed that Britain had sent a huge A400M military transport plane from its base on Cyprus to Tel Aviv on Monday.

Declassified has reported dozens of planes from the US and Britain departing RAF Akrotiri to Tel Aviv since last year, raising concerns that the base is being used as a covert hub for supplying arms to Israel.

Defence Secretary John Healey acknowledged that British forces had intervened on Tuesday, claiming they “played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation.”

Commenting on Mr Healey’s remarks, Kate Hudson, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: “The reality is that British forces are supporting Israel’s genocide, thereby emboldening Israel to commit further atrocities.

“[Israel’s] recent pager attacks, bombings, assassinations, and invasion of Lebanon have brought us to brink of that wider war — and Britain is firmly supporting it.

“Keir Starmer’s recent comments completely fail to condemn or acknowledge the real aims of the Israeli government — to destroy the possibility of a Palestinian state and extend the borders of Israel.”

Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German said: “[Keir Starmer] has pledged full support for the terror state, despite more than 40,000 dead in Gaza, and now thousands dead and up to a million displaced in Lebanon as a result of Israeli aggression. 

“He is quick to condemn Iran but has never once condemned Israel’s genocidal attacks of the past year, its deliberate targeting of civilians and its illegal assassinations in Iran and Lebanon.

“War crime after war crime is either justified or ignored, and British bases in Cyprus have been used to transport weapons and help Israel.

“He and the US are taking the world into a war for which there will be no winners.”

Despite the Foreign Office finding that there is a “clear risk” of Israel violating international law, Britain still continues to export arms licences to the country, including components for F-35 jets which have been used to drop 2000lb bombs on Gaza. 

On Saturday, a national march will take place in London marking the anniversary of the start of Israel’s attacks on Gaza, to demand an immediate ceasefire, a two-way arms embargo and meaningful sanctions.