Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

U.K. suspending some arms exports to Israel over risk of breaking international law

Share
LONDON -

The British government said Monday it is suspending exports of some weapons to Israel because they could be used to break international law.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there is a "clear risk" some items could be used to "commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law."

He told lawmakers the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses for equipment "that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza," including parts for military aircraft and drones and items used for ground targeting.

He said it was "not a determination of innocence or guilt" about whether Israel had broken international law, and was not an arms embargo.

Britain is among a number of Israel's longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the 11-month-old war in Gaza. which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

British firms sell a relatively small amount of weapons and components to Israel. Earlier this year the government said military exports to Israel amounted to 42 million pounds ($53 million) in 2022.

The U.K.'s center-left Labour government, elected in July, has faced pressure from some of its own members and lawmakers to apply more pressure on Israel to stop the violence. In the election the party lost several seats it had had been expected to win to pro-Palestinian independents after leader Keir Starmer initially refused to call for a cease fire shortly after Israel retaliated for the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people.

In a departure from the stance of its Conservative predecessor, Starmer's government said in July that the U.K. will not intervene in the International Criminal Court's request for an arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Starmer also restored funding for the United Nations' Palestine relief agency UNRWA, which had been suspended by his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak's government in January.

Lammy, who has visited Israel twice in the past two months as part of Western efforts to push for a cease fire, said he was a "friend of Israel," but called the violence in Gaza "horrifying."

"Israel's actions in Gaza continue to lead to immense loss of civilian life, widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure, and immense suffering," he said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.