WorldECR | UK government suspends 30 arms export licenses

The British government said that “following a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law, the United Kingdom has decided to suspend the issuance of arms export licenses to Israel for military operations in Gaza.”

The statement said, “The UK’s strict export licensing criteria stipulate that the government will not issue export licenses if these items could be used to commit or assist serious violations of international humanitarian law. The suspension of exports will not change the UK’s firm support for Israel’s security, and the UK will continue to review this decision.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “In the face of conflicts like this, it is the UK government’s statutory obligation to review export licences.”

“I regret to inform Parliament that I have received assessments showing that there is a clear risk that certain weapons exported by the UK to Israel could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law. As a result, we are announcing today the suspension of the export of approximately 30 weapons to Israel in accordance with the requirements of the export control framework.

“The UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence under international law.”