UK officials said Monday that the country would suspend the export of some arms to Israel.
The decision by the key Israeli ally marked one of the latest signs that some members of the international community were contemplating pulling back military support for the country. It came days after Israel said it recovered the bodies of six hostages, whom the country said had been killed by Hamas in a tunnel in Gaza. The news of their deaths magnified the urgency for both sides to reach a cease-fire.
In explaining its decision, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy cited a “clear risk” that some weapons could be used by Israel to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” according to a video posted to the UK’s Parliament website.
Lammy added that the decision would impact roughly 30 of 350 export licenses for equipment including parts for planes, helicopters, and drones. According to Sam Perlo-Freeman, a research coordinator for the group Campaign Against Arms …