Thank you for contacting me about military exports to Israel.
I continue to remain abreast of the conflict in Gaza, and indeed the wider Middle East. The loss of every innocent life is a tragedy, and Israel’s war against Hamas must be done in line with international humanitarian law, with every effort made to minimise the impact on ordinary Palestinians. While acknowledging that Hamas has enmeshed itself behind the civilian population of Gaza, the UK Prime Minister has called on and will continue to call on the Israeli Government to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.
The UK Government takes its export control responsibilities extremely seriously and operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available.
Licence decisions take account of prevailing circumstances at the time of application and include human rights and international humanitarian law considerations. Export licenses are not issued where to do so would be inconsistent with the consolidated criteria, including where there is a clear risk that the items might be used for a serious violation of international law.
Yours sincerely,
Sally-Ann Hart MP