UK Halts 50 More Arms Export Licenses to Israel, Excluding F-35 Parts

Britain has significantly tightened its restrictions on arms exports to Israel, freezing an additional 50 export licenses that could potentially be used by the Israeli military. This brings the total number of blocked or delayed licenses to over 80 since September 2024. According to Stephen Doughty, the UK's Middle East Minister, these items might be used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip. New measures have implemented a "double-lock mechanism" to prevent approvals.

Doughty stated in an interview with The Jewish Chronicle that he personally reviewed each license. The enhanced policy now includes an examination of the legality of presence in territories, referred to by Doughty as "legality of the occupation," alongside adherence to international humanitarian law. Despite these broader restrictions, shipments for the F-35 fighter jet program have been almost entirely exempted due to national security considerations and commitments to allies. Doughty defended the continued supply of F-35 spare parts, arguing that halting them would "gravely damage" the broader European security framework.

The decision to freeze the 50 new licenses comes amid a broader policy shift. The initial freeze in September 2024, under then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy, involved around 30 licenses and was described as not being an arms embargo. At that time, the focus was reportedly on offensive rather than defensive weaponry. However, a recent report in The Guardian, analyzing trade data, indicated that UK companies continued to ship thousands of military items, including ammunition, to Israel even after the initial announcement.

Separately, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband received strong applause at the Labour Party conference for his condemnation of alleged "war crimes" in Gaza and criticism of Israeli government policy. He also defended London's decision to ban trade with settlements in the West Bank, acknowledging public pressure, particularly from the UK's large Muslim population, concerned about events in Gaza. Miliband, a prominent figure on the left of the Labour party, declared that Britain is "recalibrating" its approach to Israel under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, denouncing what he termed "ethnic cleansing by terrorist settlers" and the "illegal occupation" of Palestine, vowing to back words with actions by banning imports from illegal settlements and cutting off their funding and services.