By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The British government said Monday it is suspending exports of some categories of weapons to Israel, fearing that they could be used to break international law.
There is a “clear risk” some items could be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”, Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated.
He told lawmakers the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses for equipment “that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza,” including parts for military aircraft and drones and items used for ground targeting.
Lammy said it was “not a determination of innocence or guilt” about whether Israel had broken international law, and was not an arms embargo.
Britain is among several of Israel’s longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the 11-month-old war in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
British firms sell a relatively small number of weapons and components to Israel.
Earlier this year the government said military exports to Israel amounted to 42 million pounds ($53 million) in 2022.
UK’s center-left Labour government, elected in July, has faced pressure from some of its own members and lawmakers to apply more pressure on Israel to stop the violence.
Lammy, who has visited Israel twice in the past two months as part of Western efforts to push for a cease-fire, said he was a “friend of Israel,” but called the violence in Gaza “horrifying.”
“Israel’s actions in Gaza continue to lead to immense loss of civilian life, widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure, and immense suffering,” he said.
