UK suspends Israel arms licences: expert comment

Dr Alexander Gilder, Associate Professor of International Law and Security at the University of Reading, provides expert comment on the UK Government's decision to suspend around 30 arms export licences to Israel for use in Gaza over International Humanitarian Law concerns.

On the applicable law:

"The law requires exports to cease if there is the potential for the arms to be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of humanitarian law or human rights. The government does not need conclusive proof of serious violations. The mere risk is enough to require the government to act."

On the government's justifications:

"The government's position could have been clearer on the specific acts they believe could amount to serious violations. For example, mass casualties in and of themselves are not a serious violation of the law whilst deliberately targeting civilians would be."

Why now?:

"Pressure had mounted on the UK to act after several allies suspended some exports earlier this year and in July the International Court of Justice found Israel has continued to commit violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories."