The UK announces partial suspension of arms exports to Israel due to the risk of their use in violation of international humanitarian law
The British government said Monday that it would suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing a clear risk they could be used in a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“For some arms exports to Israel, there is a clear risk that they will be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
The partial ban includes items that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the minister explained.
For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant criticized the British decision, as he wrote on X, “I am deeply disappointed after learning of the sanctions imposed by the UK government on export licenses to the Israeli defense establishment”.
He added, “London’s decision comes at a time when we are fighting a war on seven different fronts”.
“This isn’t a blanket ban, it’s not a ban,” Lamy stressed, adding that it doesn’t include components for the F-35 fighter jet.
This decision comes after the completion of a review of arms licenses for exports to Israel, which the British Foreign Secretary requested shortly after taking office in early July.
In affirming his support for Israel’s right to defend itself, David Lammy said the comment wasn’t an assertion of innocence or guilt” and that the British government’s position wasn’t consistent.
“We haven’t and cannot rule on whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law,” he continued, noting that the United Kingdom “isn’t an international court”.
Since coming to power at the beginning of July, the Labor government led by Keir Starmer has repeatedly called for an end to the war in Gaza, which broke out on October 7 following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel.
Last week, the British Foreign Secretary said he was deeply concerned about the Israeli military operation in the West Bank.
For his part, Sacha Deshmukh, Director of Amnesty International’s office in Britain, considered that while this decision appears to show that the United Kingdom has finally accepted the clear and disturbing evidence of war crimes committed in Gaza, it’s unfortunately very limited and full of loopholes.
He pointed in particular to the exemption related to F-35 aircraft, while they are used extensively in Gaza.
Deshmukh added that the government remains at risk of complicity in war crimes, apartheid and possibly genocide.
This is a criticism also leveled by the non-governmental organization Campaign Against Arms Trade.
Several groups have filed lawsuits to stop British arms shipments to Israel, saying they did not respect licensing rules.
The rules state that weapons may not be sold to a third country if there is a clear risk that they could be used in violation of international humanitarian law.
