Arms embargoes on Israel since 2023

Since 7 October 2023 several countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium have ceased the sale of weapons to Israel. Key U.S. allies such as Britain and France are debating it. However the United States and Germany as the major suppliers of Israel's arms imports keep supplying lethal weapons in spite of growing criticism of the mounting civilian casualties.

Campaign groups and some Western politicians insist that arms sales to Israel must stop because civilian lives have been lost during the Israel–Hamas war, due to alleged Israeli atrocities and the humanitarian condition in Gaza strip.

Background

Israel is a major exporter of weapons, but its military has been heavily reliant on imported aircraft, guided bombs, and missiles to execute an aerial campaign that is considered one of the most intense and damaging in recent history by experts. The US is a major arms supplier to its closest Middle Eastern ally, and Germany is second. The bulk of Israel's defense needs have been supplied by the United States, Including bombs that weigh 2000 pounds and can blow up bunkers. An additional $14 billion in military aid package for Israel was approved by the US Congress this year.

Israel is being pressured by the international legal community for its war against Hamas in Gaza, due to the dire humanitarian consequences that civilians face, and that the offensive's conduct could become genocidal, according to allegations. Israel's prime minister may face arrest warrants for war crimes charges after the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor made announcing it in June 2024. Israel also was ordered by the ICJ in late January 2024 to take interim steps taken to prevent acts of genocide and to enable more aid to reach the Gaza Strip. But, the world court's interim orders have again been ignored by the Israeli government. An advisory opinion was issued by the highest court of the UN on 19 July 2024. The statement made was that Israel is not allowed to occupy the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and it is unlawful. "The Court has finally reaffirmed a principle that seemed unclear, even to the United Nations: Freedom from foreign military occupation, racial segregation and apartheid is absolutely non-negotiable," The experts stated. Soldiers involved in suspected war crimes have been actively supported by extremists, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister. in this sure-fire way, even close allies can be encouraged to question their continued military cooperation with Israel.

The pressure on Israel's allies to cease arms deliveries has reached a critical level, following the attack on a convoy of World Central Kitchen in Gaza in early April 2024 that resulted in the death of seven aid workers.

Israel's main arms suppliers

Main articles: Israel's arms supplier countries and List of military aid to Israel during the Israel–Hamas war

69 percent of Israel's total arms purchases come from US firms, with 30% coming from Germany and 0.9% coming from Italy. Defense imports from other countries make up 0.1% of the country's total. Israel has been supplied with most of its defense equipment that includes bombs that weigh 2000 pounds, by the United States.

In 2023, Germany's military exports were almost ten times higher than in 2022 after it extended sales to Israel in November December 2023 was when Human Rights Watch made its report that since 2015, the United Kingdom has given Israel military export licenses worth at least 474 million pounds ($594 million). The exports were equipment, weapons, Tanks, technology, and ammunition, as well as components for the F-35 stealth bomber that was used in Gaza.

Arms embargoes

See also: Impacts of the Israel–Hamas war § Arms transfers and embargoes

According to the Interim Ruling for South Africa's Genocide Case against Israel issued by the ICJ on January 26, Israel is committing genocide in Gaza in a 'plausible' manner and ordered it to take all necessary actions to prevent acts that may constitute constitute genocide towards Gazan Palestinians. This has prompted humanitarian organizations worldwide to press their governments to halt the trade of weapons and military assistance. Canada, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan have all stated their intention to stop shipping weapons to Israel. Canada, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan have suspended arms sales as a result of Israel's ferocious military campaign in Gaza. A number of other nations have stated that they will stop buying Israeli weapons. In spite of the significant human loss and the imminent famine, a number of Western countries have continued to provide Israel with lethal weapons.

Germany

At the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Germany gave Israel weapons worth 326 million euros, which was a 10-fold increase compared to 2022. However, according to data provided by the Ministry of Economy in response to a parliamentary question, approvals have fallen in 2024, with only 14.5 million euros granted between January and August 21. Of these, the war weapons category was only 32,449 euros. Israel's Shomrim Research Network, has confirmed this decrease.The German spokesman of the Ministry of Economy, however, told dpa news agency that there is no ban on the export of weapons to Israel. The government makes decisions on arms exports on a case-by-case basis, taking into account humanitarian law and the current situation between Israel and Hamas, the spokesman said. Germany is experiencing tension due to the Chancellery's support for Israel while the Greens-led economy and foreign ministries are increasingly expressing their criticism of the Netanyahu administration. Alexander Schwarz, an attorney at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, which has filed five suits against Berlin, said that the significant drop in approvals for 2024 reflects a real, albeit possibly temporary, reluctance to supply arms to Israel.

In October 2024, the European Legal Support Center filed a petition in German court requesting that a 150-metric-ton shipment of military-grade explosives be blocked from being sent from Germany to Israel, as they could potentially be used for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

UK

See also: United Kingdom support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war

When Britain's Labour Party took power after the country's July 4 election, it pledged to change Britain's stance on Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. However it has not yet fully committed to suspending arms sales to Israel. When asked by a Green Party lawmaker if he would take action to stop all UK arms exports to Israel, the country's new foreign secretary David Lammy, replied in the negative, highlighting the necessity for Israel to be able to acquire defensive weapons. A diplomat from the Foreign Office recently resigned due to the inaction and warned that the country could be involved in war crimes. The move, according to a July poll by YouGov, reflects wider public sentiment in the UK, where around 58% of Britons support ending arms sales to Israel during the Gaza war, compared to just 18% that are against it. An even higher proportion (78 percent) support an immediate ceasefire. An arms embargo that meets the needs of anti-Israel campaigners, including some in Lammy's Labour party, could face complications due to Britain's position as a key manufacturer of parts for the F-35 fighter jets are utilized by both Israel and British air forces. Israel has been accused of using its F-35 in unfavorable bombing raids on Gaza by critics. According to The Times, Britain is the tier-one partner for the US-made fighter program and makes 15% of the jet's parts. The UK announced in early September 2024 that it would suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel because of the risk that such equipment could be used to commit severe violations of the rules of international humanitarian law.

Israel's refusal to allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Sde Teiman detention camp, where Palestinian prisoners are detained, is partly responsible for Britain's increased readiness to impose an export ban. Lawyers representing the UK government went to Israel recently to emphasize Britain's position that It is against the Geneva conventions to deny access to the Red Cross. According to Yediot Ahronoth, Israel received a warning from former foreign minister David Cameron that if access is denied repeatedly, Europe may impose an arms embargo. The lack of cooperation from Israel in allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza caused Cameron to become increasingly frustrated.

Canada

Due to the military campaign in Gaza, Canada halted arms sales to Israel in March, Following a vote in the Canadian House of Commons that made reference to the ICJ's ruling. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly revealed on Tuesday that all arms shipments to Israel will be stopped. The pledge does not pertain to military export permits that were authorized before January 8. Israel Katz, the foreign minister of Israel, stated that "History will judge Canada's current action harshly", in response to Canada as one of the countries imposing sanctions against Israel.

Australia

The foreign affairs minister of Australia has stated that the country has not given weapons to Israel since the start of the Israel–Hamas war. However, The defence spokesman for the Australian Greens party, David Shoebridge, has requested that the government be more transparent about the specific items that were exported to Israel, Adding that the country has a system for exporting weapons that is one of the most secretive in the world. Amnesty International has urged Australia to halt the sale of arms to Israel and asserts that the country has granted approval for 322 defense exports to Israel for the past six years.

Netherlands

This year, Netherlands also have put an end to arms shipments to Israel, because of the fear that they may be used in ways that violate international humanitarian law - resulting in the deaths of civilians and the destruction of residential areas - in Gaza. In February 2024, a Dutch court imposed a ban on the Netherlands government from delivering parts for the F-35 fighter aircraft to Israel.

Belgium

In February 2024 and following the ICJ ruling, The local authorities in Belgium's Wallonia region reported suspending licenses for exporting munitions to Israel.

Japan

Following the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Japan has suspended arms sales to Israel. The Japanese company Itochu Corporation has announced in February 2024 that the partnership between it and Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer, will end by the end of February.

Denmark

Denmark is currently dealing with a court case that may result in the government suspending exporting F-35 fighter jet components to the US, because Israel is the destination for the finished jets.

US

President Joe Biden's administration halted — but then resumed — sending some bombs to Israel this year after US concerns about their use in populous Gaza. US officials said in mid-October 2024 that Israel must take steps within the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, or face possible restrictions on US military aid. The European Union's foreign policy official has criticized the one-month deadline given by the US to Israel and said that many people will die during this time. Media studies professor Mohamed Elmasry interprets the one-month deadline as a distraction to cover up US complicity in genocide and help Harris win the election. State Department official Annelle Sheline who resigned over US support for Israel interpreted the deadline "as being intended to try to win over Uncommitted [National Movement] voters and others in swing states who have made clear that they are opposed to this administration’s unconditional support for Israel." In October 2024, the United States threatened an arms embargo unless Israel improved the humanitarian conditions in the northern Gaza Strip.

France

On October 5 2024, President Emmanuel Macron called for an halt to arms deliveries to Israel, telling France Inter radio that "the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza" and that avoiding an escalation in Lebanon was a "priority" and that "Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza", provoking an indignant diplomatic response from Netanyahu. Macron's comments are seen as a message to Israel and their common ally, the United States, which is Israel's largest arms supplier. France is not a major arms supplier to Israel, but its actions as a key player in the European Union and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council had a significant impact amid international efforts to reach a political solution to the conflict in Gaza.

Petitions to impose arms embargoes

United Nations Human Rights Council

A resolution has been adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold Israel accountable for any possible war crimes and Humanitarian crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, and request a ban on all arms sales to the country. Friday's vote is notable for being the first time the UN's top human rights body has taken a stand on the war that has been going on for nearly six months, drawing attention to the warnings about 'genocide' occurring during the conflict. The resolution was passed with the support of 28 of the 47 member states of the council. Among the six countries that opposed it were the United States and Germany that supply 99 percent of weapons imported to Israel. France, Albania, and 11 other countries declined to participate.

Francesca Albanese

Francesca Albanese, an expert in the United Nations, whose job is to represent international human rights concerns in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory, gave a speech to the UN rights body in Geneva, delivering information on a report named "The Anatomy of Genocide". She held the view that Israel's military campaign in Gaza since October 7 was equivalent to genocide and urged nations to immediately enforce sanctions and an arms embargo to "prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights". Israel rejected the findings and condemned the resolution as "a stain for the Human Rights Council and for the UN as a whole". Albanese is one of the dozens of independent human rights experts who are obligated by the United Nations to report and advise on certain themes and crises.

Independent UN human rights experts

A group of 38 independent UN human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said on Tuesday that UN member states should comply with the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent "landmark ruling" on Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. They urged action to be taken, consisting of an arms embargo and targeted sanctions, along with investigations and prosecutions against those implicated in crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Specifically, individuals who are dual citizens and serve in the Israeli military or are involved in settler violence.

French demonstrators

A demonstration supporting Palestine took place in France on February 7, which called on French companies, such as Dassault Aviation, to refrain from selling arms to Israel. The Anadolu news agency reported that demonstrators stated that All French companies that provide arms to the Tel Aviv administration are implicated in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

UK campaigners

British campaigners have sent letters to the directors of 20 arms manufacturers located in the UK, stating that failing to stop war could result in criminal liability should Israel continues to receive military equipment from their companies. Four groups, including CAAT (Campaign Against Arms Trade), have sent letters to directors of arms companies that provided parts or components for the F-35 fighter jets employed by Israel's air force during the bombardment of Gaza. GLAN which also has initiated legal action against the government's determination to keep selling weapons to Israel, The letter is a joint effort by War on Want and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, as well. According to the letter, the company directors could potentially be held responsible for atrocity crimes happening in Gaza, despite the fact the UK government has consistently granted permission to sell arms to Israel, since the beginning of the war with Hamas. It refers to a section of The 2001 Act of the International Criminal Court that specifies that it is an offense against English and Welsh law to take part in 'conduct ancillary' to commit a war crime or a crime against humanity in foreign countries.

British lawyers, academics, and retired judges

Leaked statements by a former official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, led government lawyers in Britain to advise that International law has been violated by Israel, therefore; the UK must halt all sales of weapons to Israel immediately. Since Israel killed seven aid workers, three of whom British nationals, those calls have become more fervent, with three former High Court judges this week joined more than 600 members of the UK legal profession in signing a 17-page letter that pointed out that the UK is violating international law by keeping Israel armed. The signatories were Baroness Hale of Richmond, who was once the Supreme Court president, and Lord Jonathan Sumption and Lord Nicholas Wilson, who were former Supreme Court justices. In their letter the British legal professionals stated that The UK has a legal obligation to take action against Israel, based on the January 2024 ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza falls under the scope of the Genocide Convention, noting that the UK is obligated under the convention to "prevent and punish genocide."

US medics

A number of US physicians and nurses wrote a letter to Joe Biden stating that the real number of deaths from Israel's prolonged attack is higher than the previous record, asking the US to stop providing diplomatic and military aid to Israel until a ceasefire is reached.

In July 2024, a group of medics sent an eight page letter sent to Biden, the first lady, Jill Biden, and Kamala Harris, the vice-president, saying they observed evidence of a wide range of violations of US weapons laws and international humanitarian law. They wrote that they could not forget the "scenes of unbearable cruelty directed at women and children" they had witnessed. Many of the signatories had previously informed The Guardian that they believed that Israeli snipers were targeting kids, and that the impact of shrapnel-spraynel weapons on civilians was devastating. According to the medics, who worked with the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, the actual death toll is significantly and the number of people killed is greater than the Palestinian Ministry of Health's figure of over 39,000, with the majority of them being women and children. The Bidens were directly appealed to by the medics: "We wish you could hear the cries and screams our consciences will not let us forget. We cannot believe that anyone would continue arming the country that is deliberately killing these children after seeing what we have seen."

In September 2024, a second group of nearly 100 American medics signed a letter to Biden and Harris calling for an arms embargo, writing, "President Biden and Vice President Harris, we are 99 American physicians and nurses who have witnessed crimes beyond comprehension. Crimes that we cannot believe you wish to continue supporting".

British people

According to a new survey, more than 70% of British people support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as the government is under pressure to take a stronger stance against Israel. According to the poll, 55 percent of people favor ending arms sales to Israel for the duration of the war, while 13 percent expressed their desire for a continuation. In terms of politics, 40% of Conservative voters support the UK's decision to discontinue the sale of weapons, whereas only 24% are against it. 74 percent of Labour Party voters support the UK halting deals, while only 7 percent oppose the call.

Jewish Voice for Peace

The coordinated protest on July 2, 2024, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), caught Congressional staffers and law enforcement agents off guard by the quickness of the event. The demonstration on Capitol Hill takes place on a day prior to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on the invitation of senior legislators from both major parties. Protesters were gathering in a sea of red T-shirts with the slogan "Not in our name: Jews say stop to arming Israel" as they were seen between the archways of the Cannon Building. Progressive Jewish organizations have been holding protests across the country, including one similar to the one held on Capitol Hill in October last year, also rallies that take place on roads, inside train stations, and at political offices.

200 MPs from 12 countries

In response to mounting international pressure on Tel Aviv's actions in Gaza, More than 200 delegates from 12 countries, concerned about Tel Aviv's actions in Gaza, have called for an arms embargo on Israel. In their letter, the politicians stated that "an arms embargo has moved beyond a moral necessity to become a legal requirement". "Providing arms to Israel despite the mounting evidence of grave abuses documented on the ground can make those states complicit in war crimes," said Omar Shakir, the director of Israel and Palestine at Human Rights Watch, who investigates human rights abuses in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. The UN investigator recommended that member states use sanctions and arms embargoes to make the Israeli leadership change their approach.

Uncommitted Movement

Harris has made an effort to portray herself as sympathetic to The state of civilians in Gaza, where Israeli operations have caused the deaths of nearly 40,000 people and have been criticized for abuses like torture by the right-wing groups. "The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety — sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time — we cannot look away in the face of these tragedies," Harris said, following a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel. "We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent." However, a US Vice President Kamala Harris aide denied a claim that she had agreed to talk about imposing an arms embargo on Israel during a conversation with the Uncommitted National Movement that was established to oppose President Joe Biden's unwavering commitment to Israel's war. The Uncommitted Movement stated, responding to a Harris aide that they found hope to Vice President Harris for revealing her readiness for a meeting on the arms embargo and that they were eager to continue engaging "because people we love are being killed with American bombs."

Artists4Ceasefire

Hollywood Celebrities have formed a group called Artists4Ceasefire and issued a call to action titled 'Stop Weapons, Save Lives'. Among the Hollywood stars advocating for a US arms embargo against Israel are Mahershala Ali, Cynthia Nixon, Mark Ruffalo and Ilana Glazer. "Our demand is simple - our elected leaders must enforce existing US and international humanitarian laws that prohibit the use of military assistance to commit grave human rights violations," said Ruffalo. Actor Mahershala Ali urged for a cessation of "the mass destruction being perpetrated using US tax dollars," referring to US-sponsored and financed arms transfers. Artoits4Ceasefire's message was spread through collaborating with artist Shepard Fairey and multiple humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam America, ActionAid USA and the War Child Alliance.

Plaid Cymru

During their party conference on 6 October 2024, Plaid Cymru members called for a boycott of Israel. The party's Westminster MPs endorsed a motion that labeled Israel as an 'apartheid state' and charged it with ethnic cleansing and war crimes. The plan states that the British government should "expel the Israeli ambassador", ban arms sales to Israel, and that all members of the bloc should support an "economic and cultural boycott".

Views

Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy leader, gave his opinion on US President Joe Biden's assessment of Israel's response to the October 7th Hamas attacks was "over the top". "Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed," said Borrell. Weapon sales and military aid are deemed to be complicit in genocide and in violation of international law, according to advocates. At least dozens of US officials have resigned over the past few months in protest of Washington's war policies.

Critics state with conviction that Section 502 (B) of the US Foreign Assistance Act prohibits the country from sending aid to governments responsible for gross human rights violations. The act permits Congress to request information about the country's practices – In addition to the capability to terminate security support based on information received. However, Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (Dawn), said the law has never been implemented because it depends on the president's decision. Similarly, the Leahy Law contains similar provisions that prohibit the State Department or the Pentagon from providing funding to foreign entities that, based on "credible information," have committed human rights violations. But while this rule has been applied to many US allies, it has never been applied to Israel, in part because the volume of military assistance sent makes it impossible to check. According to American author and political analyst Josh Ruebner, Harris should commit to ending arms transfers to Israel, as US law and policy require her to do if elected president. Also because stopping arms exports to Israel is a smart electoral plan, as shown in the March 2024 public opinion poll conducted by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, according which, a freeze on arms shipments to Israel is supported by 62 percent of 2020 Biden voters, and only 14 percent oppose it.

In response to the Siege of Jabalia and northern Gaza, Oxfam and 37 other major humanitarian organizations said all states "must halt now the transfer of all weapons, parts and ammunition that could be used to commit further violations of international humanitarian law." Human Rights Watch called for an arms embargo on Israel following attacks on medics and healthcare infrastructure in Lebanon, which it termed an apparent war crime.