The British government has suspended some arms export licences to Israel, saying the weapons could be used to commit violations of international humanitarian law. But the move, which comes amid lingering international criticism of Israel’s killing of more than 40,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, does not go far enough as it exempts crucial F-35 fighter jet parts, according to rights organisations and experts.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the United Kingdom’s parliament on Monday that 30 of 350 arms exports licences to Israel are being suspended to cover items that could be used in the Gaza war, citing international humanitarian law concerns.

Those comprise components for military aircraft including fighter jets, helicopters and drones, but will exclude parts for lethal F-35 jets, except for those going directly to Israel. Independent Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn asked the top diplomat whether the UK had played a role in flying surveillance drones over Gaza, and if Israel had been using a British military base in Cyprus to fly its jets. But Lammy only repeated the government’s position that the UK supplies less than 1 percent of the total arms that Israel receives.

Amnesty International said the decision announced by Lammy was filled with loopholes and does not go far enough Continuing to supply Israel with F-35 components “is a catastrophic failure for arms control and justice,  it said. Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have already killed and injured tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. It’s time for a complete halt to arms transfers  no loopholes, no limitations, the organisation’s UK branch said in a statement. Zarah Sultana, the Labour MP from Coventry South, wrote on X that the government is temporarily banning only a small part of its arms licences “when Israel is carrying out a genocidal assault in Gaza Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz said the decision was disappointing and  sends a very problematic message” to the Palestinian group Hamas and Iran.    (Al jazeera)…[+]