No UK arms for Israel
The UK government has allowed at least £474 million worth of weapons and military equipment to be sold to Israel, from UK companies, since 2015 — including components for F-35 warplanes, tanks, missiles, guns and ammunition.
Israel is using warplanes and missiles to commit genocide of the Palestinian people – bombing homes, hospitals and aid workers across the Gaza Strip. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has killed at least 61,000 Palestinians in Gaza. During this time, the UK has kept sending weapons and military technology to Israel.
UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, announced to parliament on 2 September 2024 that, following a review of UK arms exports to Israel: "there does exist a clear risk that [certain UK-made weaponry] might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law". The UK government then suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel – leaving most licences untouched.
Despite the UK government claiming to have stopped direct UK arms exports to Israel where used against Palestinians in Gaza, a new report reveals that the UK has continued to send thousands of military items to Israel – amid Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
The UK has continued to export parts for Israel’s most advanced fighter jet, the F-35. Israel used an F-35 in an attack on Al-Mawasi in the Gaza Strip which killed 90 Palestinians and injured at least 300.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and former Defence Minister for war crimes. The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s actions are plausibly genocide.
Nothing short of an end to all UK-made weaponry and military technology being transferred to Israel will remove the risk of UK arms being used by Israel to commit genocide against the Palestinian people. The UK government must immediately end the UK arms trade with Israel.
