The United Kingdom announced on Monday that it will suspend the sale of some weapons components to Israel after a government report found a "clear risk" that Israel may use those arms in violation of international humanitarian laws, according to Politico.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced this week that the government would suspend more than two dozen arms export licenses following the review, which found that there is a "clear risk" British arms could be used to commit serious violations of humanitarian law due to Israel's alleged treatment of Palestinian detainees.
The report was ordered by the Labour Party shortly after the election in July.
The report found "credible claims of mistreatment of detainees" by Israel, according to Lammy, who added that "this is not a blanket ban" or "an arms embargo" during his address to Parliament. In total, Britain currently has more than 350 arms export licenses with Israel.
"The assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain U.K. 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," Lammy said in the House of Commons on Monday.
The Guardian reported that Foreign Office officials did not identify any specific instances in which international humanitarian law was violated, but they did note that the British government has been unsuccessful in trying to obtain access to Palestinian prisoners despite attempts to do so, including invoking the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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