Nearly 60 members of the British Parliament have signed a letter demanding a complete ban on arms exports to "Israel" and greater transparency in how military export licenses are granted. The letter, dated July 18, was addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

The MPs' demands come as international scrutiny mounts over the UK's role in supplying arms amid "Israel's" continued aggression on Gaza. David Lammy recently warned "Israel" that it may face further sanctions if a ceasefire is not reached soon.

Labour MP Steve Wetherden, who organized the letter, strongly criticized the UK’s involvement in the Gaza war.

“Fifteen percent of the components of the fighter jets used by Israel to destroy Gaza are British-made. We cannot hide from that,” he said, stressing, “Without UK export licenses, those jets would not fly, nor would they drop their bombs.”

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Arms exports majorly funneled to 'Israel'

The MPs are seeking clarification about the UK’s arms export data to "Israel" in 2024, released by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), the authority responsible for licensing the export of military and dual-use items.

Trade Minister Douglas Alexander had claimed during a debate that most of the £142 million in arms export licenses were for components meant to be re-exported to third countries, including NATO allies. However, the letter points out that ECJU data shows more than half of the £141.6 million in standard individual export licenses appear to be intended for direct use in "Israel".

The letter asks, “Can the government clarify how this data aligns with the minister's assertion that most licenses were for re-export?”

Questions raised about NATO ally, arms program

Alexander also claimed that around £120 million, 85% of the licenses, was for components used by Israeli companies as part of a military export program to a NATO ally.

The MPs are demanding further details about this program, including the identity of the NATO ally, the program’s name, purpose, and date of inception.

They also highlighted a sharp rise in licensing between October and December 2024, totaling £127.6 million, mainly for radar and targeting systems. This increase occurred despite the Labour government's announcement of a suspension of around 30 arms export licenses to "Israel".

Wetherden stressed that repeated calls for government transparency remain unanswered. “The very least we can do is be fully honest about what we are sending to a state involved in the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians,” he said.

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