UK-based NGOs demand British government halt arm flows to Israel

LONDON

Several NGOs demanded Wednesday that the British government "immediately" halt arms transfers to the Israeli government and suspend relevant licenses.

In a joint letter to Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the UK government should immediately suspend extant licenses for military equipment and technology.

"There is a clear risk that arms and military equipment transferred to Israel might be used to facilitate or commit serious violations of international law, including attacks that may amount to war crimes," said the letter that was released by the International Center of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), which was among the signatories.

It said it should also suspend the issuing of new licenses "while the Israel Defence Forces continue to carry out widespread serious violations including war crimes, with impunity."

"Failure to do so risks the Government breaching its own laws and international obligations and being complicit in grave abuses," it said.

The letter indicated that since 2015, the UK has licensed at least £474 million ($592 million) in military exports to Israel, including components for combat aircraft, missiles, tanks, technology, small arms and ammunition.

Separately, the UK provides 15% of the components in the F-35 stealth bomber aircraft currently being used in Gaza, said the letter, and added that durability testing for the F-35 is also undertaken in the UK.

"In the context of the current hostilities, serious violations of international law have been committed by all parties to the armed conflict, some of which amount to war crimes," it said.

"The UK risks being complicit in and facilitating serious violations of international humanitarian law if it fails to halt arms exports to Israel immediately."

The NGOs reiterated their demand for an immediate suspension of arms transfers to all parties to the current conflict and stressed that failure to do so risks the government "breaching its own laws and being complicit in grave abuses."