“The assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain U.K. arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” British Foreign Minister David Lammy told the House of Commons.
Britain has decided to suspend the sale of some of arms components being used by Israel in Gaza after concluding there is ‘’a real risk weapons could be used in violation of international humanitarian law.’’
British Foreign Minister David Lammy announced Monday that 30 licenses, including parts for fighter planes, helicopters and drones will be immediately put on hold.
“The assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain U.K. arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” Lammy told the House of Commons.
“There does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” London’s top diplomat added.
Last month, the British Department for Business and Trade froze all weapons export licenses to the IDF pending a government review.
Sources in Jerusalem told daily Israel Hayom that while officials in the Israeli Foreign Ministry were engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy to avert an arms embargo, these efforts had been unsuccessful.
The move is viewed as a direct extension of the Labour government’s reported decision to abandon an effort to challenge the International Criminal Court over attempts to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The previous Conservative government, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, joined Israel in fighting ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan after he applied to have the court issue warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes.
Lammy said on July 6 that he would seek a “balanced position” on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
“I hope, too, that we see a ceasefire soon, and we bring an alleviation to the suffering and the intolerable loss of life that we’re now seeing also in Gaza,” he said during a visit to Jerusalem on July 15.