After the UK earlier this month restored funding to UNRWA — the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants — and withdrew its objection to the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, several outlets said that Israel believes that within the next few days, the UK could announce an end to the sale of arms to Israel.
The Ynet news site, which didn’t cite sources, said Israel is concerned that if the UK were to end weapons exports, other countries could follow.
Other outlets then reported similar details, some citing unnamed diplomatic sources.
While still in the opposition, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had said earlier this year that the government should suspend the sale of British arms if there was a clear risk they might be used in a serious breach of humanitarian law.
Now in government, he said last week that he had requested an assessment of the legal situation regarding weapons use in Gaza, and that he hoped to be able to communicate any decisions with “full accountability and transparency.”
The defense secretary, who has said he wants a balanced position on Israel and Gaza, signaled earlier this month that even in the event that the UK limits the sale of offensive weapons, it would not implement a blanket ban on arms sales to Israel. READ MORE
