New export licensing figures show that the UK Labour Party government approved licenses for £127.6 million worth of military equipment to Israel in single issue licenses between October to December 2024. This is a massive increase, with the figure in this three-month period totalling more than 2020-2023 combined.
The majority of these licenses are for military radars, components and software as well as targeting equipment. The licenses were granted after the government’s announcement of a temporary arms suspension on 2 September 2024.
Labour: defending the indefensible
These new figures come as the Labour government attempts to defend its decision to exclude the open license for F-35 combat aircraft components from its temporary arms suspension in a legal case brought by GLAN and Al-Haq.
UK industry makes 15% of every F-35 in contracts Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) estimates to be worth at least £500m since 2016, and is the most significant part of the UK arms industry with Israel. It is the only tier 1 partner with at least 79 companies involved in manufacturing components. For example, BAE Systems makes every rear fuselage for the F-35 and also makes its active interceptor system. Leonardo makes its targeting lasers and L3 Harris makes the weapons release cables. Israel is using F-35s to drop 2000lb bombs on Palestinian people in Gaza.
Despite the government admitting that there is a clear risk that F-35s could be used to violate International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and that Israel is not committed to upholding IHL, it refused to include F-35 components in its partial arms suspension.
The Labour government is arguing that “the impact of suspending F-35 components on operations in Gaza is likely to be minimal” given the “IDF is one of the most significant and well-equipped militaries in the world”. Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healy claimed that suspending F-35 exports would cause a “profound impact on international peace and security”.
Nonsense claims
However, Labour claims that the impact of the suspension would be “minimal” is contradicted by the evidence. Israel is using its 39 F-35s at five times the normal rate which has led to a very high demand for spare parts. According to Freedom of Information requests obtained by CAAT, the open license for spare parts was used 14 times more in 2023 than in any other year.
The Labour government is also claiming that “no evidence has been seen that Israel is deliberately targeting civilian women or children”. It further claims that “there is also evidence of Israel making efforts to limit incidental harm to civilians”.
These claims come as the impact of Israel’s blockade of aid, imposed since March, deepens. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, “71,000 children and more than 17,000 mothers will need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition”.
According to the UN, 57 children have died from malnutrition since the start of the blockade in March. It has also described the blockade as a “weapon of war”.
Raza Husain KC told the court that
On the first of this month, at least 1.9 million people, or about 90% of the population, have been displaced on 10 times or more.
He continued:
On 7 May the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that every single one of Gaza hospitals has been damaged or destroyed and, as of this month, only half were partially functional.
Official reporting from the ministry of health, cited by UN agencies, indicated that between 23 October and 25 April over 50,000 Palestinians [were] killed, including at least 15,000 children and a further 214,000 injured.
Labour: shameless
Emily Apple, CAAT’s Media Coordinator, said:
This is a truly shocking increase in military exports to Israel. This is the Labour government aiding and abetting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It is sickening that instead of imposing a full two-way arms embargo, Keir Starmer’s government has massively increased the amount of military equipment the UK is sending to Israel.
The government’s claim that stopping the export of F-35 components is a risk to peace and security is untenable, illegal and immoral. We are watching a genocide. We are seeing Palestinian children blown apart by bombs dropped by F35s. Everyday we see images of starving children, the victims of Israel’s deliberate policy to deny aid into Gaza. These are war crimes.
Our government is complicit in the death of every Palestinian child. Our government is complicit in genocide. This cannot be allowed to continue. We hope the legal action is successful but these new figures show that we need to increase the pressure and take action to stop the UK’s genocide profiteers.
Featured image via the Canary
