Defence Secretary John Healey has told MPs that the UK has refused all export licences for military goods that might be used by Israel in current operations in Gaza, following the Business and Trade Secretary’s suspension of such licences last year.
In a letter to Defence Committee chair Tan Singh Dhesi, Healey said: “We have suspended export licences for military goods that might be used by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) in current military operations in Gaza. New export licence applications have, since September, been assessed on the same basis – we have refused all licences for military goods that might be used by Israel in the current conflict.”
The Defence Secretary stressed that some export licences remain in place but cover equipment assessed as not being used in Gaza. “There are a relatively small number of licences for the IDF relating to equipment that we assess would not be used in the current conflict, including, for example, parts for air defence systems,” he wrote. Other approved exports include “military grade body armour used by non-governmental organisations and journalists” and “parts of the supply chain that are ultimately re-exported out of Israel to support the defence of our NATO allies.”
Healey also addressed concerns about indirect transfers via third countries. “You also asked for confirmation that the UK is not providing arms to third party countries, for onward transition to Israel. Please be assured that we consider the ultimate end-user when making decisions on licences, whether going direct or via third countries,” he said. He noted that the Government has acted against such licences when necessary and warned that it is a “criminal offence for an applicant to provide any false information in support of a licence application”. If discovered, such a licence would be rendered invalid and any exports under it “may become unlawful.”
The Defence Secretary underlined that the UK’s export control regime is “one of the most robust” in the world, with data on all licensing decisions publicly available. He reiterated the Government’s position that “International Humanitarian Law must be upheld, and civilians protected”, saying these concerns are raised with Israel “at the highest levels.”
I bet Germany is rapidly regretting selecting Arrow 3 and Patriot for Sky-shield. Israel is killing its own arms export industry which it will desperately need to survive by threatening to cut off the Germans who just signed Israel’s biggest ever defence export deal.
I can’t see any path back for Israel now into the Democratic west.
Bibi will hold on until he is dead or dragged out of office and into jail and Israel’s right wing has gone full on Nazi Lebensraum expanding West Bank settlements (the West Bank didnt attack them) while actively seeking the relocation of the local population.
This all smacks exactly of the Madagascar settlement plan advocated by the SS up to 1942 before the final solution was agreed and it’s an absolute sin that the government of Israel would be actively seeking this while the President of America is actively supporting this.
The people of Israel and the USA should be ashamed of themselves and just as in Germany in 1945 the populous should not try and hide behind any excuses, both countries voted for this.
I see you have swallowed Hamas propaganda, hook, line and sinker …. and by the way, only ‘palestinian’ arabs have any historical links to the SS. It was, after all, the grand mufti of Jerusalem who formed a pact with Hitler to exterminate jews all over the middle east.
The simple answer to all of this is for Hamas to stop depriving Gazans of food, and hand over their weapons and the hostages they haven’t yet murdered, as per the demands of the arab league.