Does the UK sell arms to Israel?

Last updated: 28 March 2025

Since 2015, the UK has licensed at least £500 million worth of military exports to Israel.

From October 2023 to May 2024, the government issued over 100 new licences allowing UK companies to sell arms to Israel. During this same time, Israel killed thousands of civilians in Gaza indiscriminately.

Even though the government has suspended a small number of arms licences, there are still hundreds remaining.

The UK should not be complicit in, and profiting from, Israel’s illegal war.

Palestinian women, children and men are facing unprecedented violence and aggression at the hands of the Israeli military across the occupied Palestinian territory.

Wesam lives in Gaza. She struggles to find answers about her husband Youssef's fate, since he went missing last March. Wesam faces the immense challenges of this crisis, trying to care for her children, and cope with the dilemma of disappearance — one faced by thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

The UK provides approximately 15% of the components in the F-35 fighter jets which are used in airstrikes across the occupied Palestinian territory.

These parts are supplied to Israel indirectly, via a global programme led by the US company Lockheed Martin. The UK is a programme partner, and supplies parts produced by BAE Sytems.

The UK government claims this global supply chain means that parts cannot be tracked. This is untrue, however the legal obligation to stop supplying parts that risk being used to violate international law would apply regardless.

• The UK produces components for Israeli armed and surveillance drones. The parts are made by UK-linked companies and then assembled in Israeli factories. These drones are ever-present above Gaza and the West Bank, used both for spying missions and in attacks on civilians.
• The UK military provides intelligence from spy flights over Gaza and the West Bank to enable Israeli military operations. They also allow the US to use UK military bases on Cyprus to do the same, which facilitates Israeli attacks on Palestinians.
• The UK also trains Israeli military personnel in Britain, but the government keeps details of these missions secret.

If a UK company wants to export military goods to another nation, they need to apply for a government licence first.

A licence can't be granted, or should be revoked, if there's a clear risk that arms sold by the UK could be used to violate human rights or international law by the country they have been sold to.

In September 2024, the UK government finally recognised the risk that UK arms are being used in violation of international law in Gaza. As a result, they announced some restrictions on arms sales to Israel.

However, suspending a small proportion of over 360 licences is not enough. The government created a loophole for F-35 fighter jets. It has argued it will continue to indirectly supply parts to Israel via the global programme led by the US - for reasons of international peace and security.

Additionally, the UK continues to support Israel militarily with intelligence and training.

The government must not prioritise perceived security or economic advantage over the UK’s legal and moral obligations.

This selective application of the law has contributed to devastating and irreparable harm to Palestinians.

Temporary pauses in Israel’s military onslaught do not negate the UK’s legal and moral obligations.

There is an ever-present risk of Israel further violating international law across Gaza and the West Bank - including via the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, which has been ongoing for over 50 years.

Yes. In every previous escalation of violence in Gaza and against Palestinians in the region, the UK has at least revoked some licenses or otherwise suspended arms transfers to Israel.

• In 2014, the government reviewed and suspended twelve export licences to Israel following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
• In 2009, licences for naval guns were revoked due to their use against civilians in Gaza.
• And during escalations in violence in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s the UK imposed complete arms embargoes on Israel because of violations of international law.

The UK government has also stopped arms sales to other countries. In 2019, it was forced to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia following a court ruling. This was due to violations of international law by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

The UK has obligations under domestic and international law, to stop issuing licences for arms sales if there is a clear risk they might be used to commit serious violations of international law.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that Israel’s acts could pose a risk of genocide in Gaza, and war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed.

The Court has also ruled that states must not aid or assist Israel in its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, including through economic or trade dealings.

The UK government must end their complicity in these crimes, and stop being an ally to Israel’s atrocities. They must respect and uphold international law, and end all arms sales to Israel now.

Here are a few ways you can take action and stay up to date:

• Sign our petition calling on the UK government to stop ALL arms sales to Israel now
• Find out why Oxfam is involved in a legal case challenging the UK government’s decision to allow F-35 parts to continue to be sold to Israel
• Read Oxfam GB's briefing on the humanitarian impact of arms sales
• Learn more about UK arms sales to Israel from the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)