- Harris, Trump and Biden mark Oct. 7 attacks as US election looms
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street falls
- US judge orders Google to open Android to rival app stores
- On attacks anniversary, Israel fights 'sacred' multi-front war
- Nobel scientist uncovered tiny genetic switches with big potential
- Grammy-winning Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney, dies at 91
- UN biodiversity summit in Colombia aims to turn words into action
- Georgia Supreme Court reinstates six-week abortion ban
- 'Dark day': Victims mourned around the globe on Oct. 7 anniversary
- On attacks anniversary, Israel fights multi-front war
- Mexican mayor murdered days after taking office
- Intensifying to Category 5, Hurricane Milton targets Florida
- Mission to probe smashed asteroid launches despite hurricane
- Biden, Harris mark Oct. 7 with call for Mideast peace
- Dupont set for Toulouse return after post-Olympic holiday
- French rugby bosses tighten discipline after nightmare Argentina tour
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street slips
- Visitors to get rare view of Rome's Trevi Fountain
- Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
- Man City and Premier League both claim victory in legal case
- Deschamps delight as 'light back on' for Pogba after doping ban
- Biden, Harris urge Mideast peace on Oct. 7 anniversary
- Neeskens, tough midfielder in Cruyff's Ajax and Dutch teams
- UN warns world's water cycle becoming ever more erratic
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street retreats
- Ex-Dutch football star Johan Neeskens dies
- Man Utd battling to improve fortunes, says Evans
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Hurricane Milton strengthens fast, threatens Mexico, Florida
- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
RBGPF | -1.97% | 58.94 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.53% | 24.57 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.45% | 6.88 | $ | |
SCS | -0.15% | 12.95 | $ | |
RIO | -0.11% | 69.62 | $ | |
GSK | -0.49% | 38.63 | $ | |
NGG | -1.56% | 65.48 | $ | |
BCC | 1.68% | 141.27 | $ | |
AZN | -0.78% | 76.87 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.09% | 24.79 | $ | |
BCE | -0.54% | 33.53 | $ | |
JRI | -0.76% | 13.18 | $ | |
VOD | 0.31% | 9.69 | $ | |
RELX | -0.54% | 46.04 | $ | |
BP | 0.78% | 33.14 | $ | |
BTI | -0.26% | 35.2 | $ |
UK govt announces partial suspension of arms exports to Israel
Britain said Monday it would suspend some arms exports to Israel, citing a "clear risk" that they could be used in a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant said he was "deeply disheartened" to hear of the sanctions but rights groups said the suspensions did not go far enough.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament that the UK would suspend 30 out of 350 arms exports licences following a review by his department into Israel's conduct of its war against Hamas militants.
He said the partial ban covered items "which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza", including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones.
The ban does not include parts for Israel's advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets, Lammy added.
Lammy announced a review looking at the arms sales shortly after Labour swept to power in a landslide general election victory over the Conservatives in early July.
"It is with regret that... 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," he told lawmakers.
He stressed that the suspension was "not a determination of innocence or guilt" and that the situation would be kept under review.
"We have not and could not arbitrate on whether or not Israel has breached international humanitarian law," Lammy said, adding that Britain is "not an international court".
Lammy restated Britain's support for Israel to defend itself and stressed the suspension would not have a "material impact on Israel's security".
- 'Bad decision' -
Britain's centre-left Labour government has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, and for the speeding up of aid deliveries into Gaza, since taking power on July 5.
It has largely followed the same approach to the conflict as the previous Conservative government, with Lammy and other ministers at pains to demand Hamas release the hostages seized in its October 7 attacks as part of any ceasefire.
Some commentators have suggested however that Labour, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer -- a former human rights lawyer -- may take a tougher long-term stance towards Israel and how it conducts its military operations.
Last week, the UK foreign ministry said it was "deeply" concerned by an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, urging it to "exercise restraint" and adhere to international law.
Amnesty International's UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said the government's decision was a belated acceptance of "the very clear and disturbing evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza".
But he and other rights groups said it did not go far enough, and called the exemption for F-35 components "a catastrophically bad decision" as the jets were being used "extensively" in Gaza.
A trio of rights groups took the Dutch government to court this year over its supply of parts for the jets.
"We need to see a complete halt -- with no loopholes, including for components for F-35s supplied to the USA for onward export to the Israeli military -- to all UK arms transfers to Israel," Deshmukh added.
The UK government has faced legal action from rights groups about its export of arms and military components to Israel.
Britain's strategic licensing criteria states that weapons should not be exported when there is a clear risk they could be used in international humanitarian law violations.
That led to claims that the government was ignoring its own rules in the Gaza conflict.
Ch.Kahalev--AMWN