UK arms exports to Israel

During the 2023-25 Israel-Hamas conflict, some MPs in the UK Parliament have raised concerns about UK arms exports to Israel, citing a risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law.

Following several reviews between October 2023 and May 2024 carried out under the UK’s arms export criteria, the Conservative government concluded that no licences needed to be suspended or revoked.

Upon taking office in July 2024 the Labour government undertook a fresh review. On 2 September, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, announced the suspension of around 30 licences, out of about 350, to Israel. He said that “for certain exports” the government had concluded there was a “clear risk” they “might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.

This briefing provides information on current UK arms exports to Israel, the arms export licensing system, reviews of licences to Israel, and the UK and international response to the September 2024 decision. It also includes an overview of UK arms suspensions to Israel since 1948.

Current conflict

On 7 October 2023 the Palestinian group Hamas, officially designated a terrorist group by many countries including Israel, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, commenced an armed assault against Israel. In response, Israel launched air and ground attacks against Hamas in Gaza. Fighting is ongoing.

Licensing UK arms exports and their value to Israel

All applications for a licence to export military equipment and related items from the UK are assessed against the UK’s strategic export licencing criteria.

One of the criteria used by the government when assessing applications to export strategically controlled goods (arms) states that it will “not grant a licence if it determines there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”. Arms export licences are regularly reviewed, says the government.

UK exports of military goods to Israel are low. The primary sources of arms for Israel are the United States and Germany. The UK Government granted licences valued at £42 million in 2022 which, it said, was less than 1% of Israel’s defence imports. The value of exports dropped to £18 million in 2023. The government granted 108 licences for military and non-military controlled goods to Israel between 7 October 2023 and 31 May 2024, according to data released in June 2024.

The UK does not export military equipment to the Palestinian Authority. The UK designates Hamas as a terrorist group and applies sanctions against it.

This briefing does not address allegations of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL). The following Library briefings discuss the UK’s response to the current conflict and reflect the change of government in the UK in July 2024:

• Israel-Hamas conflict: UK response October 2023 to July 2024
• Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: UK response to the conflict since July 2024

Two organisations have also been seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision-making process with a view to ending arms exports to Israel. The application pre-dates the September 2024 announcement. Proceedings are ongoing.

Conservative government reviews of exports

Following the outbreak of conflict in October 2023, the Conservative government conducted reviews of pending and existing arms exports licences to Israel.

The government identified 28 existing licences (PDF) involving equipment “which was most likely to be used by the [Israel Defence Forces, IDF] in offensive operations in Gaza”. These included components for: combat aircraft, utility helicopters, armoured personnel carriers, naval vessels, radars and targeting equipment.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also set up a dedicated team (PDF) to assess Israel’s commitment and capability to comply with IHL.

In December 2023 the then Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, decided that he was “satisfied that there was good evidence to support a judgment that Israel is committed to comply[ing] with IHL”. He recommended that the Business and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, should not suspend or revoke licences but should keep them under review. On 18 December, the Business and Trade Secretary agreed with that recommendation.

After further reviews, in April and May 2024, the Foreign Secretary and Business and Trade Secretary made a fresh decision to not change the government’s position and to continue to grant licences.

The Labour Government review, 2024

On taking office in July 2024, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, commissioned an up-to-date assessment of “Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law in the context of war in Gaza”.

On 2 September 2024, Mr Lammy announced the suspension of around 30 licences to Israel. These include components for fighter aircraft (F-16s), parts for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones), naval systems, and targeting equipment.

Licences are permitted for items which the government assesses are not for military use in the Israel-Hamas conflict. These include items such as trainer aircraft and naval equipment, and dual-use items for civilian use in telecoms and data equipment.

Mr Lammy also said the decision would not affect the F-35 programme that supplies aircraft to more than 20 countries (except where components go directly to Israel, which are included in the action). Mr Lammy said the global F-35 supply chain is “vital for the security of the UK, our allies and NATO”.

Mr Lammy said he had decided to suspend licences because he had concluded that for certain UK arms exports to Israel “there exists a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.

Suspension of some arms and not an arms embargo

Mr Lammy told the Commons that the UK’s action was not a “blanket ban or an arms embargo” because Israel must have the right to defend itself against Hezbollah (based in Lebanon), the Houthis (based in Yemen) and Hamas. Mr Lammy said that the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence, in line with international law, and that the “point of the process” is “in no way to punish Israel, but to make sure that our export licensing regime remains among the most robust in the world”.

Reaction to the licence suspensions

Then Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell welcomed the publication of a summary of the decision-making process. However, he criticised the timing of the announcement, which followed the deaths of six hostages in Gaza and the deployment of UK forces to defend Israel from Iranian attack. Mr Mitchell said that he “feared” the decision would “offend Israel”.

The Liberal Democrats have called for arms exports to be suspended. Then Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran welcomed the Foreign Secretary’s announcement as a “step forward” but said the decision should have also included an assessment of Israel’s use of UK-supplied equipment in the West Bank as well as Gaza.

The SNP had also called for arms exports to be suspended. The SNP welcomed the decision but said that the number of licences suspended was “far too limited a response” and called for the advice and legal assessment on why the other licences remain to be published.

The campaign groups Campaign Against Arms Trade and War on Want issued a joint statement welcoming the announcement but said it did not go far enough and called on the government to end the exports of components for F‑35 aircraft “that will then be sold to Israel”.

International response

The Israeli Government criticised the suspension of licences. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “shameful” and the then Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said Israel “operates in accordance with international law […] and expect ally nations like Britain to recognise that”.

The United States said it would not comment on the UK decision, but would continue to support Israel’s defensive capabilities. The White House said that “there’s been no determination by the United States that they [Israel] have violated international humanitarian law”.

Parliamentary scrutiny

The Business and Trade Select Committee questioned Ministers and senior officials about arms exports to Israel on 10 December 2024. MPs also discussed this during a debate on e-petition 652949, which calls for the revocation of licences to Israel, on 16 December 2024.