Not a single UK military licence to Israel rejected since October 7, figures show

Ross Hunter
Thu, 13 June 2024

The UK Government has issued 108 arms export licences to Israel since October 7 (Image: Benjamin Cremel)


THE UK Government hasn’t rejected a single military export licence to Israel since October 7, figures show.

The latest data on export control licencing decisions to Israel made by the UK Government shows that every export licence for military goods due to be sent to Israel has been issued despite the country’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

The Israeli military response to the Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1100 people, has seen 70% of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed while the Palestinian death toll is now more than 37,000.

Yet despite the International Criminal Court seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the UK has granted 108 exports licences to Israel since October 7.

READ MORE: BBC's Clive Myrie takes thousands from firm linked Israeli military

Figures show that 37 of the licences were military while 63 were non-military.

However, non-military exports may include technology such as telecommunications equipment which is used to aid the Israel Defense Force in Gaza.

Eight open licences were also granted during this period. These allow for unlimited exports of specific equipment.

The UK Government has rejected calls to suspend arms exports to Israel three separate times despite warnings from international charities and campaign groups, who say failure to do so could make the country complicit in breaching humanitarian law.

Tim Bierley, a campaigner at Global Justice Now, said the UK should have stopped sending arms “long ago”.

The International Criminal Court is seeking a warrant for the arrest of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu

"The Government’s latest figures on arms exports show they’ve given Israel the key to the weapons factory, underlining the severity of British complicity in the war crimes being committed by Israel,” he said.

“Despite Israel being under investigation for genocide, not a single military licence has been rejected by the British government since October.

“As Israel flagrantly disregards humanitarian law, carrying out brutal attacks on civilians, aid workers and hospitals, any government with a shred of moral fibre would have stopped sending arms long ago.

READ MORE: Protester interrupts Keir Starmer speech at Labour manifesto launch

“With tens of thousands of civilians now murdered, the UK’s leaders are irredeemably complicit in Israel’s war crimes, but decisive action now could still save lives in Gaza. The UK must end arms sales to Israel now.”

In 2022, the UK approved £42 million worth of arms exports licences to Israel.

While, according to the UK Campaign Against the Arms Trade, £574m worth of arms licences to Israel from the UK have been granted since 2008.

The Foreign Secretary David Cameron has repeatedly insisted that the UK will not stop arms exports to Israel because it is not a big supplier to the country.