UK government ministers have reviewed a further three months of the IDF’s presence in Gaza and found no reason to suspend arms exports to Israel.
The latest review of evidence examined Israel Defense Forces’ behaviour until 24 April, the Foreign Office said in a statement late on Friday.
The previous review, released on 9 April, covered the period until the end of January, the deputy foreign secretary, Andrew Mitchell, told a select committee earlier this month.
The extended review includes the Israeli killing of three British aid workers employed by World Central Kitchen.
The statement does not say when the advice to continue to sell arms was made by ministers. The process requires it to be sent to the foreign secretary, David Cameron, who then sends advice to the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, who is the ultimate decision-maker.
The UK has said it would regard a major ground offensive in Rafah as a potential breach of international law, but it has not defined what would constitute that, and the review period does not cover the latest fighting around Rafah.
Ministers have not called for a halt to the offensive, but have said a transparent inquiry should be held into how as many as 45 Palestinians were killed last week.
The statement reads: “As required by the UK’s robust arms export control regime, the foreign secretary has now reviewed the most recent advice about the situation in Gaza and Israel’s conduct of their military campaign. This assessment covered the period to 24 April 2024.
“The business secretary has therefore decided our position on export licences remains unchanged. This is consistent with the advice ministers have received. As ever, we will keep the position under review.
“The UK operates a robust and thorough assessment of arms export licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. These criteria include that we will not grant an export licence if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.”
The decision to continue to sell arms contrasts with the issuing of arrest warrants by the international criminal court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, against Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister.
One of those who advised Khan that the arrest warrants were justifiable was Elizabeth Wilmshurst, a former Foreign Office legal adviser who resigned her government post over the handling of legal advice before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
