LONDON: Britain said Monday it would suspend some arms exports to Israel, citing a “clear risk” that they could be used in a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
The announcement follows a review by the foreign ministry into the arms sales given concerns about Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament that the UK would suspend 30 out of 350 arms exports licenses to Israel.
He said the partial ban covered items “which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza,” including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones.
The ban does not include parts for the F-35 fighter jets, Lammy added.
The foreign minister announced a review looking at the arms sales shortly after Labour swept to power in a landslide general election victory over the Conservatives in July.
“It is with regret that I inform the House (of Commons) today the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” Lammy told lawmakers.
He stressed that the suspension was “not a determination of innocence or guilt” and that the situation would be kept under review.
“We have not and could not arbitrate on whether or not Israel has breached international humanitarian law,” Lammy said, adding that Britain is “not an international court.”
Lammy reiterated Britain’s support for Israel to defend itself and stressed the suspension would not have a “material impact on Israel’s security.”
Britain’s center-left Labour government has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, and for the speeding up of aid deliveries into Gaza, since taking power on July 5.
It has followed the same approach to the conflict as the previous Conservative government, with Lammy and other ministers at pains to demand Hamas release the hostages seized in its October 7 attacks as part of any ceasefire.
Some commentators have suggested however that Labour led by Keir Starmer — a former human rights lawyer — may take a tougher long-term stance toward Israel and how it conducts its military operations.
Last week, the UK foreign ministry said it was “deeply” concerned by an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, urging it to “exercise restraint” and adhere to international law.
UK government announces partial suspension of arms exports to Israel
https://arab.news/jaemy
UK government announces partial suspension of arms exports to Israel
- Lammy told parliament that the UK would suspend 30 out of 350 arms exports licenses to Israel
- He said the partial ban covered items “which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza,” including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
- Dust storms have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze
BAGHDAD: Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
Sand and dust storms — driven by severe drought, rising temperatures and deforestation — have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze, grounded flights and filled hospitals with patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to address the root of the problem.
In a relatively small area between the cities of Nasiriyah and Samawah, not far from ancient Sumerian ruins, laborers are working hard to stabilize the soil by applying a layer of moist clay 20-25 centimeters thick.
The project also includes planting heat-tolerant seedlings like Prosopis and Conocarpus to further stabilize the soil.
“The main goal is to reduce the impact of transboundary dust storms,” said Udai Taha Lafta from UN-Habitat, which is leading the project to combat sandstorms with Iraqi expertise.
“It is a vital area despite its small size, and will hopefully help reduce dust storms next summer,” Lafta said.
A short-term objective is to shield a southern highway where many traffic accidents have occurred due to poor visibility during dust storms.
The Ministry of Environment estimates that Iraq now faces about 243 storms per year, and the frequency is expected to increase to 300 “dust days” by 2050 unless drastic mitigation measures are adopted.
In 2023, Iraqi authorities teamed up with the UN-Habitat and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in areas that have been identified as major sources of sandstorms.
The project has been implementing several methods in three southern areas, including digging water canals and supplying electricity to pump water from the Euphrates river, preparing barren lands for vegetation.
One of the project’s ultimate goals is to increase green spaces and for farmers to eventually sustain the lands after droughts and chronic water shortages have drastically reduced agricultural areas.
Qahtan Al-Mhana, from the Agriculture Ministry, said that stabilising the soil gives agricultural efforts in sandy areas a chance to endure.
He added that Iraq has extensive “successful” experience in combating desertification and dust storms by stabilising sand dunes.
Since the 1970s, the country has implemented such projects, but after decades of turmoil, environmental challenges have largely fallen by the wayside.
With the severe recent impact of climate change, “work has resumed,” said Najm Abed Taresh from Dhi Qar University. “We are making slow but
steady progress.”
