Britain will suspend around 30 of a total of 350 arms export licences to Israel due to the risk that they could be used to breach humanitarian law, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced on Monday.
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The decision was taken after reviewing Israel’s compliance with international law during its military operations in Gaza, the head of British diplomacy explained in an appearance before the House of Commons (lower house).
The suspended licences will include, among others, components of military aircraft, helicopters and drones after the British government concluded that there is a “clear risk that items exported to Israel could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
In his statement, the Labour politician said that “when faced with a dispute such as this, it is the Government’s legal obligation to review export licences (…)” while clarifying that the measure “is not a determination of innocence or guilt” and “is not taken lightly.”
“I have been a lifelong friend of Israel. A liberal, progressive Zionist who believes in Israel as a democratic state and the land of the Jews, which has both the right to exist and to defend itself,” Lammy said.
“But I also believe that Israel will only exist in safety if there is a two-state solution that guarantees the rights of all Israeli citizens and their Palestinian neighbors, who have their own inalienable right to self-determination and security,” he added.
Lammy stressed that the London government was “not an international court” and “could not arbitrate on whether Israel had violated international humanitarian law,” while clarifying that the decision did not “prejudge any future determination by the competent courts.”
The minister also pointed out that the suspension of these 30 export licences for “objects that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza” is not an arms embargo.
The decision, which the British government will keep “under review”, will not, it said, have “a material impact on Israel’s security” as it covers “only objects that could be used in the current conflict”.
Israel’s reaction
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that he was “disappointed” to learn of Britain’s decision to suspend the delivery of a series of weapons, just days after “the execution of six Israeli hostages by Hamas terrorists.”
For Katz, this decision by the United Kingdom, which will involve the suspension of 30 arms export licences to Israel – out of a total of 350 – due to the risk that they could be used to violate humanitarian law, “is a step that sends a very problematic message” to the Palestinian group Hamas and “its agents in Iran.”
“Israel is a state governed by international law and has an independent and respected judicial system. We hope that friendly countries such as the United Kingdom will recognise this throughout the year and especially a few days after the execution of six Israeli hostages by Hamas terrorists,” said Minister Katz in a statement.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed the same sentiments, saying he was “deeply disheartened” by this news at a time when the country is “mourning the death of the six hostages executed in cold blood by Hamas.”
“I stand by our troops and security agencies who work with immense courage, professionalism and moral values. We remain committed to defending the State of Israel and its people,” the defense minister added in a statement.
Katz also criticised the British government for some of its recent decisions, such as resuming funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) or its refusal to interfere with the International Criminal Court’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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