UK’s decision to restrict arms to Israel ‘falls way short,’ ‘sets a very dangerous precedent’: Expert

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The UK government's decision to suspend some of its arms export licenses to Israel is welcome but "falls way short," according to an arms expert, who called on all countries to halt arms shipments to the country.

On Monday, the government announced that it was suspending 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel after a review, warning there is a clear risk that certain UK arms exports to Israel might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The 30 licenses cover components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and items that facilitate ground targeting, excluding UK components for the F-35 fighter jet program.

In an interview with Anadolu, Oliver Sprague, an arms expert at Amnesty International UK, said that by suspending some arms export licenses, the government for the first time has admitted that its arms trade rules are being breached because of the clear risk that serious violations of international law are taking place in Gaza and that risks some UK arms exports being caught up in that.

"It's welcome that we have suspended some licenses, but it falls way, way short of what we as Amnesty think is necessary," he noted.

Noting that what has been happening in Gaza since Oct. 7 last year is one of a series of escalations that have been continuing for decades, Sprague said they have been calling for a full arms embargo on all sides, not just Israel.

"Our call is on the UK government to stop selling arms to the Israeli side as part of our overall call to stop arming all sides. So this isn't an attack on Israel, as it's basically saying don't send arms to anybody caught up in this conflict," he said.

Following the announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he was deeply disheartened by the UK’s decision, while Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was "disappointed" by the announcement.

"Now the main problem, I think, with yesterday's decision, and the main anxiety here is that they have exempted the UK's supplying of components to the US F-35 combat aircraft," said Sprague.

He said that every F-35 that is flying has 15% British parts in it, noting that it is the main weapon system that is being used in Gaza that the UK is involved in supplying.

The decision to exempt F-35 parts from the suspension is "at odds with the UK's legal obligation, and it's something we're really, really concerned about,” he said.

"Because it sets a very dangerous precedent -- not just for the people of Gaza that are still going to be on the end of the bombs dropped from these planes, but also for the future of arms export controls, because the UK will just say ‘well, we're going to exempt this weapon system from the controls."

Reiterating that the government's suspension decision is "too narrow" because of the nature of the conflict, Sprague said the UK needs to take a "much wider look" at what they are selling, including looking at those items that are going to Israeli defense companies which "may not be directly used in Gaza, but they are still risking indirectly helping the conflict there."

He also noted that the problem with the F-35 is because the UK has gotten itself entangled in a contract and supply system that is at odds with its arms flexible control system, as it has admitted that it is not capable of determining where the things that it supplies are ending up.

"So, the UK government should be telling the Americans really firmly 'you are not to supply UK parts to Israel, because our legal obligations are that that should stop," he said.

Probably the UK's suspension decision, as a major arms exporter, is setting "quite a strong example," said Sprague, urging other countries that are supplying arms to the conflict to follow suit.

He reiterated that as Amnesty, they call for suspending not some but all arms export licenses to Israel.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,800 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 94,400 injuries, according to local health authorities.