The UK Government is suspending around 30 arms export licences to Israel amid concerns a “clear risk” exists that they could be used to breach international humanitarian law.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said a review conducted by the UK Government could not “arbitrate on whether or not Israel has breached international humanitarian law” in Gaza, but ministers have a legal duty to review export licences.
Mr Lammy said the criteria states the Government will not issue export licences if there is a “clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law”.
He told the House of Commons: “It is with regret that I inform the House today that the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that, for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“I have informed the Business and Trade Secretary and he is therefore today announcing the suspension of around 30 from a total of approximately 350 to Israel, as required under the Export Control Act.
“These include equipment that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza.”
Mr Lammy said the Government does “not take this decision lightly” and stressed it is “not an arms embargo”.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, in a written ministerial statement, said: “This includes components for fighter aircraft (F-16s), parts for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), naval systems, and targeting equipment.”
He added: “Assessments of Israel’s commitment to international humanitarian law will continue, including with regard to the provision of food and medical supplies to civilians in Gaza and the treatment of detainees, and may change over time to allow reinstatement of these licences.”
Mr Reynolds went on: “The UK stresses that there is no equivalence between Hamas terrorists and Israel’s democratic government. The UK remains committed to supporting Israel’s self-defence.
“But to license arms exports to Israel, the UK must assess their compliance with international humanitarian law, notwithstanding the abhorrence of their opponents’ tactics and ideology.”
The minister said exports to the global F-35 fighter jet programme will be excluded from the suspension decision, except where going directly to Israel, to avoid “prejudicing the entire” scheme.
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell, writing on social media platform X, said: “Announcing an arms embargo on the day when Israel is burying its murdered hostages, and within weeks of British military personnel and arms defending Israel from Iranian attack, is not easy to swallow.
“Having now looked at Labour’s memorandum, it has all the appearance of something designed to satisfy Labour’s backbenches, while at the same time not offending Israel, an ally in the Middle East. I fear it will fail on both counts.”
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran urged the Government to “go further” following the suspension of some arms exports licences to Israel, by ending trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) said the UK will “regret” suspending certain arms exports to Israel, saying: “The only people who will be overjoyed by this decision today will be the Hamas terrorists who murdered in cold blood six hostages at the weekend.
“They have been handed a line of hope that this Government will not stand firm in its defence of Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said: “While this decision appears to demonstrate that the UK has finally accepted the very clear and disturbing evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, it’s unfortunately too limited and riddled with loopholes.”
ActionAid UK chief executive Hannah Bond said: “Now is not the time for half measures: if the UK government believes the Israeli military may be breaching international humanitarian law in Gaza, then it should go much further and halt all new and existing arms licenses to the Israeli government immediately.”
The war began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants broke into Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 others.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s counter-attack in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
Elsewhere in the Commons session, Mr Lammy announced new sanctions on four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) force targets, who “have a role in supporting Iranian proxy actions in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon”.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here