In an interview with The Guardian, Begum condemned the UK's continued arms sales to Israel amid its killing of thousands of civilians in Gaza. "Whether you say they are components or whole weapons (being sold) is a moot point, because individual components collectively constitute these devices that are killing so many innocent people," she emphasized.
"The UK needs to stop selling these arms. The government can’t simultaneously give humanitarian aid and talk about its aspirations for peace in the region, then also ship bombs – it’s intellectually and morally incoherent," Begum added, questioning the legality and ethics of such actions.
Begum, recently back from the occupied Palestinian territories where she was unable to enter Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli war, expressed dismay at the humanitarian crisis unfolding. "Gazan children are being bombed, suffering from malnutrition and facing potential famine and the UK still can’t constrain the Israeli military. It defies belief we’d support this action, our humanity seems to be seeping away," she said.
Highlighting global sentiment, Begum remarked, "The global south is fairly united on what needs to happen regarding Gaza, but it seems to be only Western leaders that don’t see what is morally the right thing to do."
She also voiced concern that Western policies could undermine international humanitarian law and human rights principles in a post-conflict scenario. Recent government figures revealing 108 arms export licenses issued to Israel since October, with none rejected or revoked, underscored her critique of UK policy.
Israel's recent offensive against Gaza has led to significant casualties and displacement. At least 37,337 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and another 85,299 individuals have sustained injuries.