UK government says Israel arms exports won't be used to break international law

A UK minister has told parliament that arms exports to Israel comply with international law as the UN warns over the human cost of Israel's devastating assault on the enclave. 

UK Labour Minister Anneliese Dodds told the House of Commons that no licenses would be used to "commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law", noting that most licenses were not for the Israeli army.

It comes after rights groups called on the UK government to ban arms exports to Israel, due to the massive civilian casualties in Gaza and Lebanon.

"Following the September 2 suspension, there are currently no extant UK export licences – I will repeat that again – no extant export licences for items to Israel we assess might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law," Dodds said.

"Most licences for exports to Israel are absolutely not for the [Israeli army] and I'm pleased to be able to put that on the record in the House."

The only exception was the F-35 aircraft components, believed to be part of Israel's air fleet used to attack Gaza.

Dodds said that the government had imposed restrictions on arms sales, which it was committed to upholding.

"We are very clear about the need to fulfil our international responsibilities in that regard," Dodds said.

Following Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 42,000 Palestinians since last year, the previous and the new UK governments have faced calls to end its arms licenses to Israel.

While Britain does not directly give arms to Israel, it issues licenses for companies to sell weapons with input from lawyers on whether they comply with international law.

The comments came as the head of the UNRWA relief agency Philippe Lazzarini said the humanitarian situation had reached a dire point, with bodies abandoned by roadsides or buried under rubble.

"In northern Gaza, people are just waiting to die," he said in a statement on social media platform X. "They feel deserted, hopeless and alone."

"I am calling for an immediate truce, even if for a few hours, to enable safe humanitarian passage for families who wish to leave the area & reach safer places," he said.

Last month, the UK suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel as there were risks the equipment might be used to commit serious violations of the law during its war on Gaza.

The F-35 parts were exempted as halting them would, according to foreign minister Lammy, "undermine the global F-35 supply chain that is vital for the security of the UK, our allies, and NATO".

The aircraft is arguably the UK's biggest contribution to Israel's assaults. The suspension came after reports found that F-35 stealth fighters had bombed a humanitarian zone in Gaza.

Parts for military aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters, and drones, are included under the arms export suspension.

In response to the limited suspension, Amnesty International said the move demonstrated that the UK had "finally accepted the very clear and disturbing evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza".

"Exempting the F-35 fighter jet programme - essentially giving this programme a blank cheque to continue despite knowing that F-35s are being used extensively in Gaza - is a catastrophically bad decision for the future of arms control and misses a clear obligation to hold Israel accountable for its extensive war crimes and other violations," the rights group said.

"[The] decision means that while ministers apparently accept that Israel may be committing war crimes in Gaza, it is nevertheless continuing to risk complicity in war crimes, apartheid - and possible genocide - by Israeli forces in Gaza and elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," it added.

"We need to see a complete halt - with no loopholes, including for components for F-35s supplied to the USA for onward export to the Israeli military - to all UK arms transfers to Israel."