This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Britain have announced on Tuesday it would suspend 12 licenses to export military items to Israel, including tank, aircraft and radar parts, if hostilities with Hamas in Gaza resumed, mentioning concerns the military exports may be used to breach international laws.
During the last week, Britain had told to review all arms export licenses to Israel after fierce fighting which has resulted in heavy civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
That review concluded on Tuesday that 12 licenses would be temporarily suspended pending further investigation if the current truce breaks down and heavy fighting resumes.
Business Secretary Vince Cable has stated: “The U.K. government has not been able to clarify if the export license criteria are being met.
“In light of that uncertainty, we have taken the decision to suspend these existing export licenses in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities.”
Israel has kept on insisting that its operation in Gaza is the response of attack from Hamas and only for the sake of their self-defence to stop rockets being fired from the territory by Islamist militants.
The escalated Gaza conflict had led to the killing of 1,875 people, while 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel have been killed.
A British parliamentary committee report had showed last month, outstanding government-approved contracts for export of dual use or military goods to Israel value more than 7.8 billion pounds ($13 billion). These include contracts for the supply of body armour, drone components and missile parts.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Bis) have said the vast majority of export licenses were not for items that could be used by Israeli Defence forces in Gaza, but it was unable to immediately confirm the worth of the licenses that could be suspended.
However, it is also mentioned that the suspended export items would not include components for Israel’s “Iron Dome” system which protects Israel from rocket attacks by militant group Hamas.
Britain’s first female Muslim cabinet minister, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi had quit the Foreign Office during the last week over her concerns that Prime Minister David Cameron’s government of taking a “morally indefensible” stance over Gaza.
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