Oxfam says UK ‘remains complicit’ so long as military assistance to Israel continues
The global charity Oxfam has also welcomed the British government’s decision to take measures against Israel for its actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank but says more serious steps, including an end to all weapons transfers to Israel, are still needed.
“Without suspending parts for Israeli F-35 fighter jets, the UK Government remains complicit in the deaths of thousands of civilians across Gaza,” Halima Begum, chief executive of Oxfam GB, said in a statement.
“Any further delays will literally mean the difference between life and death for countless Palestinians and could jeopardise the safe release of hostages.”
Begum said people in Gaza, including thousands of children, are starving “while Israel commits the war crime of using starvation as a weapon of war”.
She called on Lammy to suspend all arms exports to Israel and impose a full package of sanctions on political leaders and settlers in Israel “who are seeking to erase Palestine from the map”.
UK’s military support to Israel: What to know
According to a government news release in January, the country granted arms export licences to Israel worth 42 million pounds ($56.1m) in 2022, which it said was “less than one percent of Israel’s defence imports”.
In 2023, arms export licences dropped to 18 million pounds ($24m).
From October 7, 2023, to May 31, 2024, the British government granted Israel 108 licences for “military and non-military controlled goods”.
Shortly after the current Labour government came to power last year, Lammy announced 30 arms export licences out of 350 would be suspended.
However, last week, a report by British pro-Palestinian groups found the UK had sent “8,630 separate munitions” to Israel since the suspensions took effect, contrary to what Lammy announced.
Moreover, the report found F-35 fighter jet parts continued to be sent to Israel.
