British pro-Palestinian activist groups found that since September the government had sent ‘8,630 separate munitions’ to Israel.
A new report has found that United Kingdom firms have continued to export military items to Israel despite a government suspension in September last year, amid allegations that the British parliament has been deliberately “misled”.
A report by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International and Workers for a Free Palestine revealed on Wednesday that the UK sent “8,630 separate munitions since the suspensions took effect, all in the category ‘Bombs, Grenades, Torpedoes, Mines, Missiles And Similar Munitions Of War And Parts Thereof-Other’.
“Despite [Foreign Minister] David Lammy, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP and other Ministers repeatedly reiterating in the House of Commons that the Government has ended this direct supply of F-35 [fighter jets] parts, the evidence indicates that they have continued to send direct shipments of components for lethal F-35 jets to Israel after September 2024 – and that these shipments are ongoing,” it added.
In September, Lammy announced the suspension of 29 arms export licences, out of 350, that were used during Israel’s war on Gaza.
Lammy said the government had found there had been a “clear risk” that the licences “might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”. He said the ongoing licences covered items such as “goggles and helmets for use by one of the UK’s closest allies”.
‘Parliament misled’
The report used data from the Israel Tax Authority and concluded that Lammy had “misled” Parliament and the public about arms exports to Israel.
Former Labour shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the government has a lot of “explaining to do” in response to the report.
“If Parliament has been misled by the Foreign Secretary or any minister it is a resigning matter and more importantly it attracts potentially a charge of complicity in war crimes. The Government has shrouded its arms supplies to Israel in secrecy,” McDonnell said.
Former leader of the Labour Party and independent MP, Jeremy Corbyn, said the report could explain why the government has not responded to a call for a public inquiry into the UK’s role in Israel’s military assault.
“When will the UK government come clean about the reality of military cooperation with Israel? The public deserves to know the full scale of the UK’s complicity in crimes against humanity – and we are not going anywhere until we have established the truth,” he said.
The Foreign Office told Al Jazeera that the government has suspended the “relevant licences” that might be used to “commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza.”
“Of the remaining licences for Israel, the vast majority are not for the Israeli Defence Forces but are for civilian purposes or re-export, and therefore are not used in the war in Gaza. The only exemption is the F-35 programme due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security,” the ministry said.
“Any suggestion that the UK is licensing other weapons for use by Israel in the war in Gaza is misleading.”
“The UK totally opposes an expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. We urge all parties to return urgently to talks, implement the ceasefire agreement in full, secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas, and work towards a permanent peace,” it added.
