UK temporarily halts some arms exports to Israel

The UK government has temporarily suspended authorizations for exporting certain military products to Israel.

This decision was announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a speech in the House of Commons, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Lammy presented the results of an expert assessment requested by the government, which found that "in the case of certain weapons exported by the United Kingdom to Israel, there is a real risk that they could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law." Despite this, he emphasized that the UK continues to "support Israel's right to self-defence under international law."

"This is not about a total ban, this is not an arms embargo," Lammy explained, highlighting that only 30 out of the 350 licenses previously issued for arms exports to Israel have been suspended. "This is not a way to punish Israel. This is not the purpose of the process. We are making sure that our arms export system remains one of the most robust in the world," he said.

The suspension affects specific components, such as those used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and military helicopters, as well as guidance systems for weapons targeting ground sites. However, components for F-35 fighter jets are not included in the restrictions to avoid impacting the global supply chain, which is vital for NATO countries and their allies using the F-35.

Lammy noted that the UK might lift these restrictions if Israel shows a more responsible attitude toward respecting humanitarian law in its military operations in the Gaza Strip.