02 September 2024 , 16:55
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The UK will suspend some arms export licences to Israel, the foreign secretary has announced.
David Lammy told the House of Commons that 30 out of 350 licences will be put on pause following a review of the country’s compliance with international law.
They include components for military aircraft, helicopters and drones.
The decision comes as mass protests spread across Israel, demonstrating against Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the war in Gaza following the recovery of the bodies of six people held hostage by Hamas on Saturday.
Lammy told MPs: ‘Throughout my life, I have been a friend of Israel.
‘A liberal, progressive Zionist who believes in Israel as a democratic state and a homeland for the Jewish people, which has both the right to exist and defend itself.
‘But I believe also that Israel will only exist in safety and security if there is a two-state solution that guarantees the rights of all Israeli citizens and their Palestinian neighbours, who have their own inalienable right to self determination and security.’
He said the suspension would go ahead due to a ‘clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law’.
The foreign secretary emphasised that the decision was not intended to pre-empt any court decisions on whether Israel had broken such laws.