UK arms exports to Israel hit record levels

According to Anadolu, citing an exclusive report by Channel 4 in the UK, the British government has issued more than 300 arms export licenses to Israel in recent months. This comes despite the UK’s licensing system being required to assess criteria such as violations of international law.

However, Israeli customs data indicates that the UK continues to supply arms to the regime. In August, over 100,000 rounds of ammunition were sent from the UK to Israel, with the total value of arms exports that month estimated at around £150,000 ($201,000).

In June, Israel’s arms import from the UK reached £408,000 ($547,000), the highest figure since 2022.

In response to pressures for a full arms embargo on Israel over the killings in Gaza, the UK government in September suspended around 29 of nearly 350 export licenses, claiming that any data-x-items that could potentially be used by the Israeli military in Gaza had been blocked.

The UK government has defended its licensing decisions, stating that all licenses continue to be reviewed in accordance with international law.