PRESSURE mounted on the government to stop arming Israel today after research showed Tel Aviv caused the most civilian casualties from explosives last year.

Israel accounted for 55 per cent of civilian casualties from explosive weapons globally, according to campaign group Action on Armed Violence’s (AOAV) latest Global Explosive Violence Monitor report.

Israeli explosives caused at least 33,910 deaths and injuries, primarily in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, the British-based organisation revealed.

Gaza was the worst-affected region, accounting for 39 per cent of such casualties.

Total civilian casualties from explosives worldwide rose by 67 per cent in 2024, with 61,353 civilians killed or injured.

Russia was the second largest perpetrator, responsible for 19 per cent, followed by Myanmar, which accounted for 5 per cent.

The data showed that 85 per cent of those killed or injured in populated areas were civilians.

Air strikes, which caused the most civilian casualties, followed by missiles, had increased by 1,175 per cent compared with a decade ago. 

The group warned that the overall scale of harm is likely much higher, with the data used compiled solely from media sources.

Geoff Tibbs, from Peace Pledge Union, said the figures should be a “wake-up call” for leaders and politicians, and rebuked the government and corporations for fuelling violence and supplying weapons to the likes of Saudi Arabia and Israel. 

“With war raging around the world, we urgently need to pursue de-escalation and non-violent solutions to conflict,” he said.

John McDonnell MP, currently suspended by Labour and who has been pushing for the government to implement a full arms embargo on Israel, said the report “demonstrates clearly that Israel has become a rogue state using the weapons provided by its international backers to perpetrate mass murder.” 

He said: “This is yet more evidence why the UK government must ban all arms sales to Israel and why Netanyahu must be brought to justice.”

Kirsten Bayes from Campaign Against Arms Trade highlighted that the British government has continued to licence exports of components for Israeli F35 warplanes, despite evidence of multiple breaches of humanitarian law. 

She said: “Time and again, across multiple conflicts, the UK government accepts dishonest assurances made by perpetrators of war crimes, over evidence of civilian casualties produced by teams on the ground. 

“It is high time it stopped exporting weapons to fuel war and oppression.”

Sophie Bolt, general secretary of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: “This report shows how much Israel’s wars in the Middle East have contributed to the surge in civilian deaths caused by explosive weapons over the last year, but also how air strikes are becoming increasingly used as a method of achieving military aims over the last decade. 

“How can you claim to take the utmost care in selecting military targets when the global trend shows that the increased air strikes leads to a 1,145 per cent increase in civilian deaths? 

“The rise in faceless killing via air strikes, missiles, or drones is a crisis that will only get worse unless international leaders do more to prevent global instability.”