British companies exported thousands of military goods, including ammunition, to Israel, despite the British government suspending major arms export licenses to the country in September, according to a new analysis of trade data reports The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, "the study also raises questions about whether the UK continued to sell F-35 parts directly to Israel, violating the obligation to only sell them to US manufacturers Lockheed Martin to ensure that the global supply chain of fighters is not disrupted, which the government believes is important for national security and NATO".
The results are reported to have prompted former British Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Labour Party John McDonnell to call for a full investigation, adding that it would be a matter of resignation if it is proven that British Foreign Secretary David Lammy misled Parliament, violating the Ministerial Code when he told MPs in September that much of what the UK sends to Israel was "defensive in nature."
The latest study shows that "since October 2023, 14 shipments of military goods have been sent from the UK to Israel, including 13 by air to Ben Gurion Airport and one sea shipment to Haifa, which contained 160,000 units". "Since September 2024, 8,630 units have been exported under the category of "bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles and similar military ammunition and parts thereof - other," the publication writes.
In addition to weapons, it is stated that "since September, four shipments of 146 units have been made under the customs code identified as "tanks and other armored combat vehicles, motorized, equipped or not equipped with weapons, and parts of such vehicles"".
Most of the deliveries, totaling just over £500,000, were reportedly made after the UK government suspended arms export licenses in September.
The study, conducted jointly by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International and Workers for a Free Palestine, uses import data from Israeli tax authorities to try to figure out what the continued validity of 200 arms export licenses allowed Israel to import. Israeli data includes a code number identifying the type of export, details of the country of origin, the value of the goods, the month of shipment and the mode of transport - by land or sea. Neither the supplier nor the customer is specified.
Regarding the obligation not to sell F-35 components directly to Israel, the report states that the monthly scheme of supplying aircraft parts from the UK to Israel has largely remained unchanged since September, but the data does not reveal whether they are military parts.
A British Foreign Office representative is quoted as saying: "This government has suspended the relevant licenses for the Israel Defense Forces that could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. Of the remaining licenses for Israel, the vast majority are not intended for the Israel Defense Forces, but are intended for civilian purposes or re-export, and therefore are not used in the war in Gaza. The only exception is the F-35 program because of its strategic role in NATO and the wider implications for international peace and security. The UK is completely opposed to the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza. We call on all parties to urgently return to negotiations, fully implement the ceasefire agreement, ensure the release of hostages captured by Hamas, and work towards achieving lasting peace."
Reminder
In September 2024, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the UK was suspending some arms sales licenses to Israel due to the risk of its possible use in violation of international law. According to him, the validity of about 30 out of 350 licenses should have been suspended, noting that "this is not an arms embargo".