Britain approves £8.7 million arms licence to Israel
Amid the ongoing Middle Eastern arms race, Britain has approved arms licences worth £8.7 million ($11.85 million) to Israel, according to the Middle East Monitor and agencies on May 8th.
Granted by the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the two arms licenses cover “components and technology for targeting equipment.”
Britain partially suspended arms exports to Israel in September 2024 over concerns about complicity in war crimes during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) expressed concerns about arms being diverted from their declared destination to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) for use in Gaza.
In March, a UK-based Elbit Systems subsidiary shipped dozens of drone components to Israel over 18 months; the license required the equipment to be retransferred to Romania, which Israel failed to do.
A second new license covers military training aircraft components and related technology for transfer to France, Greece, Italy and Israel.
US aerospace firm Moog would likely supply components for the M-346 Lead-In Fighter Trainer from Italian defence contractor Leonardo.
In October 2025, Roberto Cingolani, Leonardo’s head, was reportedly referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations of complicity in war crimes; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also referred to the ICC.
The M-346 is used to train Israeli pilots before they fly combat missions in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran using F-16 and F-35 jets.
Produced by Lockheed Martin, F-35 jets have caused widespread destruction across Gaza, Lebanon and Iran; however, Britain’s High Court found the sale of these jets to be lawful in June 2025.
Britain is not the only European nation to continue arms shipments to Israel since 2023, as countries including Germany, France and the Czech Republic are also exporting arms to Israel.
Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier, accounting for 47% of Israeli exports; the US accounts for the remaining 53%.
Serbia’s arms shipments to Israel have reached record levels since 2023, with ammunition sold to Ta’as Ma’arachot, an Elbit Systems subsidiary.
Human Rights Watch condemned ongoing arms sales to Israel in April and urged governments to sever Israeli defence ties.
Israel’s defence partnerships are not limited to the US and Europe; in February, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed defence ties with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, during a state visit to Israel.
Morocco is Africa’s largest arms importer, with Israel its second-largest supplier after the US, accounting for 24% of Morocco’s arms; the countries officially normalised ties in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Middle East Monitor and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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