Government Suspends Some Arms Export Licenses To Israel
2 min read
The Government has suspended 30 arms export licenses of the 350 it has with Israel, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Lammy said the decision followed a two-month review of export licences which had found a "clear risk" that the arms in question could be used "to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law".
Lammy said it was "with regret" that he was "unable" to reach any other conclusion, and that "facing a conflict such as this, it is this Government's legal duty to review Britain's export licences".
He stressed that the move does not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo when it comes to selling UK-made arms to Israel. The 30 arms export licenses suspended affect military aircraft parts used in helicopters and drones.
"Israel's actions in Gaza continue to lead to immense loss of civilian life, widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure and immense suffering," he said.
"In many cases, it's not impossible to reach determinative conclusion on allegations regarding Israel's conduct of facilities, in part because there is insufficient information, either from Israel or other reliable sources to verify such claims."
The Foreign Secretary told MPs he was a "liberal" Zionist who believes in Israel as a democratic state and a homeland for the Jewish people.
He added that the new Labour Government's key mission was to create a peaceful resolution in the Middle East through a Palestinian state and an Israeli state.
Lammy praised the "heroic" work of humanitarian aid workers who had been working in Gaza who were "putting their lives on the line to help others".
The Government has been under pressure from some of its own Labour MPs to take a more strict position on Israel as the war in Gaza continues.
On 7 October, terrorist group Hamas seized 235 hostages and killed 1,200 people in an attack on Israel. More than 40,000 Palestianians have died in the Israeli assault on Gaza that has followed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Andrew Mitchell, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, told the Commons he agreed with Lammy that it was important to draw no "moral equivalence" between the Israeli government and Hamas.
Calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have continued to grow after six hostages were killed in Gaza on Sunday. Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on the streets of Tel Aviv to demand the end to the war and the return of all the hostages.
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