Britain's left-wing Labour government announced on Monday it would suspend dozens of arms export licences to Israel over concerns that British weapons are being used to commit human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the House of Commons that the UK government would suspend 30 of the 350 arms export licences to Israel, including British parts for military drones, helicopters and aircraft, including fighter jets used by Israel.
The move came after months of protests by left-wing activists and a two-month investigation by the foreign ministry. Guardian ReportsWhile the investigation did not determine that UK arms exports contributed to the destruction of the Gaza Strip, the government determined there was a “clear risk” that the weapons would be used to violate international humanitarian law.
Announcing the move, Foreign Minister Lamy said: said Congress: “In the face of such disputes, it is the government's legal duty to review export licenses.”
“I regret to inform the House today that the assessment I have received does not allow me to conclude anything other than that certain arms exports from the UK to Israel present a clear risk of committing or contributing to serious breaches of international humanitarian law.”
But Lamy insisted that the move to cut arms licences to Israel by around 10 percent did not mean an “arms embargo” on the Jewish state.
The move comes after the bodies of six hostages were found in a Gaza tunnel over the weekend. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the hostages, who were captured by Hamas terrorists during an Israeli attack on October 7, were killed when Israeli forces closed in on Hamas positions to prevent a rescue attempt.
Starmer steps up demand for Israeli ceasefire after hostage killinghttps://t.co/dY3FVPHTv9
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 1, 2024
After the hostages were found dead, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stepped up his demands that Jerusalem sign an “immediate” ceasefire with Hamas.
The announcement of the suspension of some arms export contracts with Israel also comes at a time when Mr Starmer's predecessor as Labour leader, the 75-year-old socialist Jeremy Corbyn, has formed an “Independent Alliance” of pro-Gaza lawmakers.
Corbyn, who was expelled from the Labour Party at Starmer's behest and faced accusations he failed to tackle anti-Semitism within the party while he was leader, said on Monday he would unite behind the banner of support for Gaza along with independent MPs Shoukat Adam, Ayub Khan, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohammed. Corbyn has previously faced criticism for describing Hamas as “brothers” on Iranian state television.
In a statement, the new parliamentary group said According to Daily Mail“Millions of people are crying out for real alternatives to austerity, inequality and war and their voices deserve to be heard,” they said.
“As individuals, we were elected by our constituents to represent their concerns in Parliament on these and other issues, and I believe that collectively, we can continue to do this even more effectively.”
Though relatively small in numbers, the new group is likely to increase pressure on Mr Starmer, who has initially taken a moderate stance on Israel's response to the Oct. 7 terror attacks, and whose party has seen defections from the Muslim community, a key Labour base.
Starmer's sectarian split: Pro-Palestinian independent defeats Labour to enter Parliamenthttps://t.co/0I9L3oSlD6
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 5, 2024
