Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was “disappointed” to learn of the UK Labour government’s decision to suspend arms deliveries on Monday (2), just days after “the execution of six Israeli hostages by Hamas terrorists”.
For Katz, the UK’s decision to suspend 30 of the 350 arms export licenses to Israel due to the “risk” that they could be used to violate humanitarian law “is a measure that sends a very troubling message” to the terrorist group Hamas and “its proxies in Iran”.
“Israel is a constitutional state that operates under international law and has an independent and respected judicial system. We hope that friendly countries, such as the United Kingdom, will recognize this throughout the year and especially in the days following the execution of six Israeli hostages by Hamas terrorists,” Katz said in a statement.
In the same vein, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed that he was “deeply disappointed” by the news at a time when the country is “mourning the death of the six hostages executed in cold blood by Hamas.”
“I support our troops and security agencies who work with immense courage, professionalism and moral values. We remain committed to the defense of the State of Israel and its people,” the defense minister added in a statement.
Katz also criticized the British government for some of its recent decisions, such as resuming funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and refusing to interfere with the International Criminal Court’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that “when faced with a conflict like this, it is the government’s legal obligation to review export licences”, saying the move was “not a determination of innocence or guilt” and “not one to be taken lightly”.
“I have been a lifelong friend of Israel. But I also believe that Israel will only exist securely 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,” Lammy said.
The suspended licences will include components for military aircraft, helicopters and drones, among others, after the British government reviewed Israel’s “commitment” to international law during the war in the Gaza Strip, Lammy told the House of Commons.
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