It was the first major diplomatic decision of the new British Labour government. On Monday, September 2, Keir Starmer's Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced from the House of Commons that there would be a "pause" in the export of "certain UK arms" to Israel: 30 arms export licenses to Israel out of around 350 current ones, including components used in the manufacture of combat aircraft, drones and helicopters.

Their shipments will be suspended "immediately" because of the "clear risk" that these weapons "might be used" in Gaza as part of Israel's "serious violations of international humanitarian law," said Lammy.

Reacting to the announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he was "deeply disappointed" by the partial suspension. Lammy is acting under the UK's regime governing exports of domestically produced arms to foreign powers. Updated in 2021, just after Brexit, and largely inspired by European legislation, it aims to prevent London from indirectly helping to facilitate "serious violations of humanitarian law." The measure is largely symbolic: British exports make up 1% of total Israeli arms imports, with Israel sourcing mainly from the US and Germany.

But the diplomatic setback is significant for Israel in that it comes from a hitherto staunch ally that has been very reluctant to dissociate itself from American foreign policy. So far, the White House has ruled out any suspension of export licenses to Israel. However, there is no question of refusing to arm Israel against Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthi rebels, said Lammy from the House of Commons, insisting that the decision "follows a process" that is strictly legal. Lammy had called for a review of the compliance of arms exports to Israel when he arrived at the Foreign Office in July. His announcement "is in no way to punish Israel," added the MP for Tottenham (London), who insisted on the country's "right" to defend itself and said he had made his decision "in sorrow, not in anger."

Although only partial – and criticized as such by the left wing of the Labour Party – the ban contrasts with the policy of Rishi Sunak's conservative government. At the beginning of 2024, David Cameron, Lammy's predecessor at the Foreign Office, did say he was "worried" that Israel might be "in breach of international law," but the rest of the Sunak cabinet did not follow suit, and the trade minister at the time, Kemi Badenoch, refrained from calling export licenses into question.

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