Protesters hold a “Ceasefire now, stop arming Israel, end the occupation” banner. Pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Westminster demanding an arms embargo on Israel. [Getty]
Six human rights organisations have sent a joint letter on Wednesday to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticising the UK’s ongoing arms transfers and military support to Israel.
The groups raised concerns over Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria, amid growing international condemnation.
The letter – signed by the likes of War on Want, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), and Action For Humanity – cited “overwhelming evidence” of serious violations of international law committed by Israeli forces.
The organisations accused the Israeli military of systematically targeting Palestinians through tactics such as starvation and unlawful killings during its 15-month-long assault on Gaza and intensified raids in the West Bank.
The groups also highlighted their previous attempts to engage with Lammy and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
“The disappointing pattern to these exchanges is a continuation of that with the previous government since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza,” the letter said.
“While we appreciate the government and FCDO officials taking time to send replies, we are frustrated by the failure to engage with us on the key concerns.”
Lammy previously addressed the issue in September 2024, acknowledging that “for certain UK arms exports to Israel there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
However, he defended Britain’s continued involvement in the F-35 programme, arguing that suspending all licences “would undermine the global F-35 supply chain that is vital for the security of the UK, our allies, and NATO.”
Neil Sammonds, War on Want’s Senior Campaigner on Palestine, told The New Arab, that “the government’s responses are as unacceptable as its policies.”
“Suspending fewer than 10 percent of arms licences to Israel and several low-hanging fruit policy changes aside, the UK has given almost unqualified support to Israel for its military campaigns against the Palestinians, Lebanon, Syria and others, despite overwhelming evidence of war crimes and genocide as well as the ICJ-reaffirmed illegal occupation.”
Jonathan Purcell, Senior Public Affairs and Communications Officer at the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), highlighted the legal implications of the UK’s continued arms exports to Israel, referencing international frameworks such as the Genocide Convention and the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
He stressed that “the government should know that its Article 1 obligation to prevent genocide is active “at the instant” that it learns of “a serious risk that genocide will be committed”.
While the government asserts – according to court documents – that it assesses genocide risks as part of its arms export process, Purcell argued that continuing these exports is a clear violation of Article 1 obligations.
Katie Fallon, Advocacy Manager at CAAT, also warned that the UK’s refusal to halt arms exports has fostered a “climate of impunity” that emboldens Israel to inflict “unimaginable levels of suffering and destruction.”
Additionally, Sammonds told The New Arab that further action will be taken by his organisation and other signatories amid concerns by activists that the UK government will continue to evade accountability.
“Our partners at GLAN have led the legal case in the UK, alongside the Palestinian human rights organisation al-Haq, to stop arms exports to Israel,” he said.
“The next stage in this saga is the judicial review in May over the F-35 ‘carve out’ through which the UK ensures that Israel can keep deploying its most lethal bomber-jet despite having recognised that Israel is not committed to complying with international law.”
He continued: “Plenty of legal minds will be following this carefully, as well as continuing to explore the legal avenues through which government officials, directors of arms companies as well as corporate and financial institutions may be held to account for their roles in Israel’s crimes.”
Pro-Palestine activists and politicians have consistently called for an end to UK arms sales to Israel, with large-scale protests led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign—one of the most prominent pro-Palestine advocacy groups in the UK and Europe.
The pressure intensified after over 100,000 people signed a petition in December demanding a complete arms embargo on Israel.
Despite growing calls for action, the UK government exempted F-35 parts from its decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel in September, sparking backlash from campaigners.
Activists criticised the move as insufficient, pointing out that only 30 out of 350 arms export licences were suspended, leaving Israel with substantial military support during its ongoing offensive in Gaza.
The UK plays a significant role in the production of F-35 fighter jets, reportedly manufacturing around 15 percent of the components used by Israel, according to the UK-based arms trade monitoring group Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT).
While the UK does not directly sell these parts to Israel, they are supplied via the United States—Israel’s key military ally and weapons provider.
Since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza on 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have also intensified attacks in the West Bank, leading to the displacement of nearly 5,500 Palestinian families since December, according to local and UN officials.
