The United Kingdom has decided to block some of the export of weapons and military components to Israel, in particular about 10% of active licenses. The decision, announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, comes after a two-month review, undertaken by the new Labour government led by Keir Starmer.
Lammy announced that the suspension of some licenses for the export of weapons is motivated by the “clear risk” that they could be used by the Israeli army in violation of international humanitarian law. The ban affects about thirty of the approximately 350 total licenses granted by the United Kingdom, and mainly involves components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and other weapon systems that can be used to strike ground targets.
Although this measure represents a precise political signal, its impact on the Israeli military forces will be limited, since the UK is not a major supplier of weapons to Israel. The main supplier of weapons to Israel is in fact the United States, followed closely by Germany. Globally, Italy is the third largest supplier of weapons to the Jewish state, although its contribution is much lower than that of the other two countries.
This article is originally published on .lidentita.it
