Government stand by David Lammy's plan to limit arms sales to Israel

Labour has stood by its controversial partial arms embargo on Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu launched an astonishing broadside at the administration in the Daily Mail.

The Jewish State's leader accused the UK government of sending 'mixed messages' and 'undermining' his country's right to self-defence in an exclusive interview with this newspaper.

He hit out at their decision to suspend 30 arms licences which came just days after Hamas executed six hostages saying it sent a 'horrible message' to them.

But yesterday Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds defended restrictions as 'fair' and 'proportionate'.

He told LBC: 'The findings that were passed to me from the Foreign Office, from the Foreign Secretary, that there was a risk that Israel was not complying with international humanitarian law in relation to detainees and access to aid, mean that I have to act.'

Mr Reynolds said the limitations only apply to the conflict in Gaza, meaning Israel can still use the weapons in other parts of the territory, including against militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.'

The decision we took was fair, was proportionate, was consistent with international law, and fundamentally what we need, what everyone needs in the Middle East, is a ceasefire in that conflict,' he continued.

Earlier this month, the fledgling Labour administration was accused of pandering to anti-Israel sentiment on its own backbenches when Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the move.

It is said to have appalled some American policymakers and followed Labour's dropping of Britain's objections to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant being issued against Netanyahu.