Britain’s approval of arms export licences to Israel dropped sharply after the start of the conflict in Gaza, with the value of permits granted for the sale of military equipment to its ally falling by more than 95 per cent to a 13-year low, Reuters reports.

The United States and Germany increased arms sales to Israel after the start of the offensive against Hamas. However, the value of British-approved licences between Oct 7 and Dec 31 last year dropped to 859,381 pounds ($1.09 million), government officials told Reuters. That is the lowest figure for the period between Oct 7 and Dec 31 since 2010.

This compares with the government approving 20m pounds of arms sales to Israel for the same period in 2022, including small arms ammunition and components for combat aircraft, according to government data.

Unlike the US, Britain’s government does not give arms directly to Israel but rather issues licences for companies to sell weapons, with input from lawyers on whether they comply with international law.

Reuters could not establish if the fall in the value of approved licences for Israel was because of a decision by Britain to restrict the sale of certain items, or because there was a drop in demand from Israel.

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