'OPEN ENDED WAR' FEAR IN ISRAEL BLITZ

Lammy rules out ban on weapons sales to regime

- DAVE BURKE & MARTIN FRICKER

DAVID Lammy said yesterday that the "'horrific" war in the Middle East must end but insisted stopping arms sales to Israel would mean more bloodshed, not less.

The Foreign Secretary repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying Gaza is now "a vision of hell on earth".

It comes as Iranian-backed Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets into Israel in retaliation for last week's pager and walkie-talkie attacks.

Mr Lammy said Iran was destabilising the region. But responding to calls for the UK to stop all export licences for weapons to Israel, he said: "I think that would be a mistake.

"It would lead to a wider war and an escalation that we in the UK are committed to stopping, so I'm afraid I disagree with that position."