LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will immediately suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel because there is a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, foreign minister David Lammy said on Monday.
Soon after the Labour Party won an election in July, Lammy said he would update a review on arms sales to British ally Israel to ensure these complied with international law.
“It is with regret that I inform the House (of Commons, lower house of parliament) today the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” Lammy said.
(Reporting by Michael Holden and William James, editing by Elizabeth Piper)
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