Sept. 2 (UPI) — Britain on Monday announced it was suspending the export of some military equipment to Israel as London increases its public criticism of an ally and its methods of war that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Israel has been fighting Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza since the Iran proxy militia launched a brutal and deadly attack on the Middle Eastern country Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw another 251 kidnapped.
But Israel’s methods of war have attracted increasing criticism, including from allies, such as the United States, as the death toll has continuously climbed and humanitarian aid has constantly fallen short of what is required. Much of Gaza has also been razed.
Britain on Monday announced it was suspending, with immediate effect, some 30 of roughly 350 licenses for the export of military goods to Israel following an assessment the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer showed that there is “clear risk” that Israel could use them in violation of international law.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement that it was with “regret” that he had to inform Britain’s Parliament of the suspension while stating that London continues to support “Israel’s right to self-defense.”
Items affected include military aircraft, helicopter and drone components as well as items for ground targeting.
Items not affected were listed as absent from the current conflict, such as trainer aircraft or naval equipment, while components for a multi-national F-35 joint strike fighter program will be excluded from the export ban except where they go directly to Israel, the British government said.
“By suspending these licenses, I am fulfilling our commitment to avoiding the risk that UK exports could be used in IHL violations in the Gaza conflict,” Britain’s Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said.
Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government chastised Britain for the move, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stating he was “deeply disheartened” by the suspension of the licenses.
“I stand by our troops and security agencies working with immense courage, professionalism and moral values,” he said on X.
“We remain committed to defending the state of Israel and her people.”
Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, lambasted the move as enflaming “the falsehood that Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law, when in fact it is going to extraordinary lengths to uphold it.”
“Sadly, this announcement will serve to encourage our shared enemies,” he said in a statement on Facebook. “It will not help to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, nor contribute to the peaceful future we wish and pray for, for all people in the region and beyond. Britain and Israel have so much to gain by standing together against our common enemies for the sake of a safer world. Surely that must be the way forward.”
A British policy paper supporting London’s decision to withhold the military exports states that Israel has not fulfilled its duty as the occupying force of Gaza to ensure the enclave’s some 2 million people receive essential humanitarian supplies. It states that while Israel does not accept it is the occupying power, it does accept the obligation to allow free passage of humanitarian relief by third parties, including the United Nations.
However, the paper states “Israel could reasonably do more to facilitate humanitarian access and distribution.”
Concerning Israel’s “conduct of hostilities,” the report states it was not able to reach a determination “in part due to the opaque and contest information environment in Gaza and the challenges of accessing the specific and sensitive information necessary from Israel.”
Israel has been accused of committing genocide in Gaza, which Israel has rejected. The International Court of Justice has ordered the Middle Eastern country to take immediate steps to end atrocities in Gaza.
Amnesty International — which is among critics who accuse Israel of potentially committing genocide in Gaza — on Monday turned its criticism towards Britain for not going further with its sanctions.
“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,” Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International Britain’s chief executive, said in a statement.
It lambasted the exceptions for the F-35 fighter jet program, as airstrikes have been an important component to Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Today’s decision means that while ministers apparently accept that Israel may be committing war crimes in Gaza, it is nevertheless continuing to risk complicity in war crimes, apartheid — and possible genocide — by Israeli forces in Gaza and elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” Deshmukh said.
British government statistics show its military exports to Israel have been declining. London had some $55 million worth of licensed arms deals with Israel in 2022, compared to 23.8 million last year.
The United States has also held some shipments of bombs to Israel, though has since let most of them be exported.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians.
