UK approves over 100 arms export licenses to Israel since October

The U.K. has approved more than 100 export licenses for the sale of weapons, military equipment, and other controlled items to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza on October 7. This information was released by the U.K. Department for Business and Trade.

The new data reveals that over 300 licenses were still active as of the end of May 2024, facilitating manufacturers to export various types of U.K.-made military and non-military equipment to Israel.

Details of military and non-military equipment

The approved licenses cover a range of military equipment, including components essential for the operation of military aircraft, vehicles, and combat naval vessels. Specifically, the licenses allow for the export of parts for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, training small arms ammunition, submarine components, and components for body armor.

In addition to military gear, the licenses also cover non-military equipment such as telecommunications devices, chemical manufacturing equipment, and imaging cameras, demonstrating the broad scope of export agreements.

Germany’s role as a major arms supplier to Israel

Germany is a major arms supplier to Israel, accounting for 30 percent of all Israeli arms purchases in 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s annual report for that year. This places Germany behind only the United States, which provided 69 percent of Israeli arms purchases in 2023. Germany primarily supplies Israel with components for air defense systems and communications equipment, and also manufactures Israel’s Dolphin-class submarines.

A Berlin court on June 11 rejected an urgent request by a number of Palestinian residents of Gaza to stop the government from approving permits for the export of German weapons to Israel.