UK’s exports to Israel won’t be used to break international law, minister says

The UK is confident there are no exports to Israel which will be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Anneliese Dodds told the Commons that “most licences” for exports to Israel are not for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), noting that F35 aircraft components are an exception.

The UK Government has previously suspended around 30 arms exports to Israel over concerns they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.

During Foreign Office questions, Ms Dodds said: “Following the September 2 suspension, there are currently no extant UK export licences – I will repeat that again – no extant export licences for items to Israel we assess might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

“There’s only one exception which was for F35 (aircraft) components and the Foreign Secretary (David Lammy) explained this to the House.”

She added: “Most licences for exports to Israel are absolutely not for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and I’m pleased to be able to put that on the record in the House.”

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller asked whether the Government would stop selling arms to Israel after a UN envoy had warned that nowhere in Gaza was safe.

He said: “The attacks saw more than four, five residential blocks razed to the ground. Some (people) reached the hospital, some remain under the rubble. That is the account of Dr Eid Sabbah of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, which he gave yesterday.

“I noted the minister’s qualified earlier response, but as the UN special envoy for the peace process warns that nowhere in Gaza is safe, does the minister agree with me that he UK should cease all arms exports to Israel?”

Ms Dodds replied: “I would urge him to look again at what I stated, which stipulated very clearly the legal grounds for that decision around arms exports but also the clarity around the fact that the restrictions that have been placed on arms due to that legal regime, which the UK Government was determined to fulfil, are because the other licences are not going to be used in the manner that some would suggest.

“We are very clear about the need to fulfil our international responsibilities in that regard.”

SNP MP Brendan O’Hara (Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber) asked: “Why is it that this Government can immediately call out (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s war crimes the moment they happen but they seem utterly incapable of doing that when the perpetrator is (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and when the victims are Palestinians?”

Ms Dodds said: “I do regret the tone of (Mr O’Hara’s) question. He surely can recognise the prioritisation of this new Government to do all that we can to secure the ceasefire that is required.”

Independent MP Imran Hussain (Bradford East) urged the Government to impose “immediate sanctions on hard right extreme ministers in the Netanyahu government”, adding: “The time for empty promises and hollow words is over.”

Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said the Labour Government’s words “have not been hollow” and the Government will “continue to review these issues”.

Elsewhere, Labour MP Emily Thornberry called on the Government to increase support for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

The chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee said: “Today is a day when we hear that one of Unifil’s watchtowers was bombed by the Israeli Defence Forces.”

She added: “What conversations has (the minister) had with his colleagues about beefing up our support of Unifil and taking our troop numbers up from one?”

Mr Falconer replied: “The current situation is unsustainable, we continue to raise this through all measures diplomatically in order to try and see progress and we will continue to do so until there is progress.”