Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the UK’s decision to freeze arms sales to the country was “shameful”.
“Instead of standing with Israel, a democratic country defending itself against brutality, Britain’s misguided decision will embolden Hamas,” he said on social media.
His comments come after the UK’s Defense Secretary, John Healey, insisted that the UK remains a “partner,” telling the BBC that Israel’s security would not be weakened by the suspension of 30 out of 350 export licenses.
The ministers said these weapons could be used in Gaza to violate international law. But human rights group Amnesty International UK said the measures were “too limited”.
Others criticized the timing of the announcement, coming on the same day as the funeral of six hostages killed by Hamas last week.
Mr Healey told BBC Breakfast that it was “painful” to see the faces of the dead hostages but explained that the timing was “driven by the fact that this was a formal process” and the need to report to Parliament.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday the UK will be suspending 30 of the 350 licenses for arms exports to Israelwhich affect equipment such as parts of military aircraft, helicopters and drones.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Healey said that these were chosen because they bring materials used in Gaza for “attack purposes”, while “most of the other parts that our country exports to Israel are not related to the conflict or maybe used to defend Israel.” “.
UK arms sales to Israel are small compared to other allies, contributing just 1% of the country’s defense assets.
The UK exports weapons to many countries including Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The US is Israel’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 69% of its major conventional weapons purchases between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Amnesty International UK accused the government of the “politics of action” given less than 10% of the suspended arms export licences.
The charity’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, said the restrictions were “too limited and full of loopholes”.
“[The] The decision means that while ministers admit that Israel may be committing war crimes in Gaza, [the government] yet it continues to be at risk of being complicit in war crimes, discrimination – and genocide – by Israeli forces in Gaza,” he said.
The non-profit organization has been calling for an end to the fighting and for aid to be allowed in Gaza.
On social media, Mr Netanyahu said: “With or without British weapons, Israel will win this war and secure our common future.”
“Instead of standing with Israel, a democratic country defending itself against barbarism, Britain’s flawed decision will strengthen Hamas.”
Asked about comments by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who accused the government of “abandoning Israel”, Mr Healey insisted the UK would support Israel in its defense if it was directly attacked.
Criticism also came from within the Labor Party.
Former foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said the timing was “unfortunate”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on the World Tonight program on Monday, he said: “I suspect that what was wanted when they received legal advice, they wanted to go in and tell Parliament right away, but I think it was unfortunate. all funerals.”
Ms Thornberry also said she expected a “detailed summary” of the legal advice the government had received on the weapons, amid questions about the continued supply of parts for the F35 jets.
Mr Healey said parts of the F35s were “deliberately excluded” from the freeze as they are used by 20 countries and it would be “difficult to distinguish” which parts would go into the Israeli jets.
Zarah Sultana, currently sitting as an independent Member of Parliament after being suspended from the Labor Party, has called for an end to all arms sales to Israel.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the Coventry South MP described the F35 jets as “the most dangerous in the world”.
Former national arms adviser Lord Peter Ricketts told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that the government’s decision was “long overdue”.
Lord Ricketts told the BBC in April following the incident Israeli strike kills seven aid workers that the UK should stop selling arms to Israel, saying there is “overwhelming evidence” that public security obligations are not being met.
In a recent interview with the BBC, he said: “There comes a time when the legal advice is so clear that the government has an obligation to follow it.”
Israel has repeatedly denied targeting civilians during its military operation in Gaza, which was launched in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7 that killed around 1,200 and captured 251.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the area.
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