Aysu Bicer
11 June 2024•Update: 11 June 2024
LONDON
The UK has approved more than 100 export licenses for the sale of weapons, military equipment, and other controlled items to Israel since the war in Gaza, according to new data released by the Department for Business and Trade on Tuesday.
This revelation comes amid ongoing scrutiny and calls for greater transparency in the government's arms export decisions.
The data indicates that over 300 licenses were still active as of the end of May this year.
These licenses facilitate manufacturers to export various types of UK-made military and non-military equipment to Israel.
Military equipment covered under these licenses includes components essential for the operation of military aircraft, vehicles, and combat naval vessels.
Specifically, the licenses allow for the export of parts for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, training small arms ammunition, submarine components, and components for body armor.
In addition to military gear, the licenses also cover non-military equipment such as telecommunications devices, chemical manufacturing equipment, and imaging cameras, demonstrating the broad scope of the export agreements.
The release of this data comes after months of pressure from MPs and advocacy groups urging the government to provide more information about its arms export policies, particularly those concerning Israel.
The calls for transparency intensified amid growing concerns over the potential use of UK-manufactured equipment in conflicts and human rights violations, particularly in the Gaza Strip where Israeli forces are bombing Palestinians in residential areas, refugee camps, and even UN-run shelters houses.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last Oct. 7 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 37,100 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of whom are women and children, while nearly 84,700 others have been injured, according to local health authorities.
Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
