The UK has sent “8, 630 separate munitions since the suspensions took effect, all of which fall under the category of “bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles, and similar weapons of war and parts thereof-other,” according to a report released on Wednesday by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International, and Workers for a Free Palestine.
The evidence indicates that they have continued to send direct shipments of components for lethal F-35 jets to Israel after September 2024, according to Foreign Minister [Foreign Minister] David Lammy, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP, and other Ministers who have repeatedly stated in the Commons.
Out of 350, Lammy announced the suspension of 29 arms export permits used in Israel’s occupation of Gaza in September.
Lammy claimed that the government had discovered a “clear risk” that the permits might be used to commit or facilitate a grave violation of international humanitarian law. He claimed that one of the UK’s “closest allies” could use items like “goggles and helmets.”
“Parliament was deceived.”
According to the report, Lammy “misled” Parliament and the general public regarding arms exports to Israel using information from the Israel Tax Authority.
According to former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, the government must “explain” the report’s implications.
The Foreign Secretary or any other minister’s misinterpretation of Parliament constitutes a resigning action and, more importantly, it could lead to accusations of complicity in war crimes. According to McDonnell, the government has kept its arms supply to Israel secret.
Former Labour Party leader and independent MP, Jeremy Corbyn, said the report could explain why the government hasn’t responded to calls for a public inquiry into the UK’s involvement in the Israeli military assault.
When will the UK government reveal its military cooperation with Israel in full public? We won’t go anywhere until the truth is established, he said, and the public needs to be fully aware of the extent of the UK’s involvement in crimes against humanity.
The government has suspended the “relevant licenses” that may be used to commit or facilitate grave violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, according to the Foreign Office.
The majority of the remaining Israeli military licenses are not used in the Gaza War because they are primarily for civilian or re-export purposes. The F-35 program is the only exception, according to the ministry, because of its strategic importance in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security.
It is illogical to suggest that the UK is granting Israel permission to use other weapons in the Gaza war.
Source: Aljazeera
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