UK suspension of Israel arms export licences is ‘window dressing’, charity says

The UK Government’s suspension of around 30 arms export licences to Israel “does not go far enough” and is “little more than window dressing”, charities have said.

A “total ban” is the “only way to categorically ensure arms sold to Israel are not used in violations of human rights”, Christian Aid’s head of Middle East policy William Bell said.

He added that “urgent steps” were needed to end the suffering of people in the region.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said a review 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.

Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said the Government’s action was “riddled with loopholes” including exempting the F-35 fighter jet programme.

Mr Deshmukh said the exemption represented a “catastrophically bad decision for the future of arms control”.

“We need to see a complete halt – with no loopholes, including for components for F-35s supplied to the USA for onward export to the Israeli military – to all UK arms transfers to Israel.”

Halima Begum, chief executive of Oxfam, said: “Suspending just 30 licences out of 350, and crucially leaving loopholes for components in F-35 fighter jets that have been dropping 2,000lb bombs on Palestinians for months now, is nowhere near adequate.

“In the time Parliament has been in recess alone, Oxfam estimates that over 1,100 people have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.

“By leaving a loophole that allows Israel to order weapons via third parties, the suspension is little more than window dressing.”

Mr Lammy said the criteria state 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 also announced new sanctions on four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps force targets, who “have a role in supporting Iranian proxy actions in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon”.

The war began on October 7 last year when Hamas-led militants broke into Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 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.