Afrasianet - A report issued by three human rights organizations, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Workers for a Free Palestine and Progressive International, revealed details of British arms exports to Israel, accompanied by official documents from the Israel Tax Authority.

The report highlighted the continued supply of large-scale military shipments from the beginning of the war on Gaza in October 2023 until March 2025.

The report comes despite the UK government's announcement of a partial suspension of some arms export licenses to Israel in September 2024, after more than 8,630 ammunition shipments have been transported since then.

While there has been no change in the shipping pattern of aircraft parts, questions have been raised about the extent of the official commitment to the alleged suspension, which a parliamentary group considered misleading public opinion and parliament, and demanded an investigation during a parliamentary session on Wednesday morning.

Allegations against the Foreign Ministry

British Foreign Secretary David Lamy "misled parliament and the public" about the nature of military exports to Israel, the report said, citing his statement to  the House of Commons where he said, "Most of what we send to Israel is defensive in nature, such as helmets or goggles, not what we usually call weapons." 

Although   the foreign secretary and his colleague, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, announced in September that they would stop exporting F-35 components, the report shows that shipments of these parts continued to arrive directly from the UK into Israel until March, contradicting official statements and putting the government at "clear risk."

In its report, the government used the same expression when it banned arms exports to Israel for fear of involvement in Israel's violations of international law, while the report refutes this claim, documenting thousands of shipments of weapons and ammunition.

The report revealed weapons classified as "munitions of war" into the following categories:

•    Grenades, grenades, mines, rockets, and similar munitions.
•    Parts of pistols and guns.
•    Rocket launchers, flamethrowers and grenade launchers.
•    Tanks and armored combat vehicles with or without weapons.
•    One shipment documented in the report included 150,000 bullets sent in October 2023. Demands for investigation

In an unprecedented move, MPs from the  ruling Labour Party this morning filed a parliamentary complaint against the party's leadership, demanding an immediate investigation and the resignation of Foreign Secretary David Lamy, in an escalation that exposes a split within the party.

They also called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to "act immediately to impose an arms embargo and ensure that the UK is not involved in these inhumane and unlawful crimes".

The request was made by Labour MP and former finance minister John McDonnell, who stated that "the government must provide an urgent explanation for this shocking report, especially after alleging that Lamy and other officials misled parliament and the public."

"If the investigation proves this to be true, it is a matter that warrants resignation, and even more, it may be considered complicity in war crimes," he said, adding, "The government has kept arms shipments to Israel secret, which is supposed to be public opinion. The evidence we have obtained is worrying."

McDonnell stressed the need to immediately stop exporting any kind of British arms to Israel "to ensure that none of them are used in Netanyahu's new and horrific plans to annex and ethnically cleanse Gaza."

Labour MP Zara Sultana joined in calling for an investigation. She told Al Jazeera Net that "this report shows that the government was lying about the weapons it sends to Israel, while committing genocide in Gaza."

"Beyond helmets and glasses, the government has been sending thousands of weapons and ammunition, and even continues to supply Israel with parts of the world's most dangerous fighter jets," she said, adding that "according to the government's own admission, the continued export of these parts puts the UK at a clear risk of breaching international law."

Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, a former Labour leader, joined the complaint, who said: "The government has not yet responded to our call for a full public inquiry into the UK's role in Israel's military aggression on Gaza, but this shocking report may explain why."

"When will the government tell the people about the reality of military cooperation with Israel? "The public deserves to know the extent of the UK's complicity in crimes against humanity, and we will not stop until the truth is revealed."

Legal dimension

On the other hand, lawyer Pete Witherby commented in the Garden Court Chambers office, which followed the report from a legal point of view, that "there are urgent questions about the discrepancy between the government's public position and the information revealed in the report, which is that the UK continues to supply Israel with parts of aircraft that have caused massive destruction in Gaza."

"The opinion  of the International Court of Justice in July 2024 on the illegality of the Israeli occupation, and its repeated orders in the case brought by South Africa against Israel, made the UK's legal obligations clear." 

"None of the signatories to international conventions should provide any support or assistance to Israel in relation to its illegal occupation, but must take all reasonable steps to stop the ongoing genocide and ensure Israel's compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention," he said.

He also considered that the report accuses Minister Lamy of misleading Parliament and the public, and called on Prime Minister Starmer to launch a full investigation into these accusations and, if proven, "Lamy or any other minister who broke the rules should resign."

He stressed that the continuation of British exports to Israel could lead to individual criminal responsibility and legal responsibility on the state under the Genocide Convention.

"It is time for the UK to fulfil its legal obligations to impose a complete arms embargo on Israel and halt all exports and transfers, including dual-use or allegedly non-offensive items that could be used against Palestinians."