Britain’s issuance of arms export licenses to Israel significantly decreased following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, with the value of authorised military equipment sales plummeting over 95% to a 13-year low.
This information, previously unreported, comes from government officials’ disclosures and data from the Department for Business and Trade’s Export Control unit.
In contrast, the United States and Germany increased their arms sales to Israel after the conflict with Hamas began.
Between October 7 and December 31 last year, the value of British-approved licenses fell to £859,381 ($1.09 million), as reported by government officials.
This is the lowest figure for this period since 2010.
Comparatively, the government approved £20 million in arms sales to Israel during the same timeframe in 2022, including small arms ammunition and components for combat aircraft, according to government records.
In 2017, for the same period, the government authorised £185 million in arms sales, the highest amount recorded since 2008, including components for tanks and surface-to-air missiles.
Unlike the U.S., the British government does not provide arms directly to Israel but rather issues licenses allowing companies to sell weapons, with legal reviews ensuring compliance with international law.
Many of the licenses approved after the Gaza war started were for items marked for “commercial use” or non-lethal items like body armor, military helmets, or all-wheel-drive vehicles with ballistic protection.
The Department for Business and Trade, responsible for approving the export licenses, and the Foreign Office both declined to comment.
Additionally, Israel’s embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.
Nancy Mbamalu
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