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Foreign Secretary says U.K. reviews arms exports under international humanitarian law, urges pause and political pathway for Palestinians
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Summary
At a U.N. press event, the Foreign Secretary said the U.K. reviews arms export decisions under international humanitarian law, referred to the need for a pause to secure hostage releases, and called for a new Palestinian authority and steps toward a two-state solution; a reporter asked whether U.K. exports risk making Britain complicit under ICJ provisions.
During a U.N. press session, Sherry Fitchitson of Anadolu asked whether the United Kingdom planned to suspend arms exports to Israel after granting 114 standard export licences in 2022 and whether, given recent ICJ developments, the U.K. feared it might be complicit in alleged war crimes because of its assistance.
The Foreign Secretary replied that the U.K. has "one of the strictest" arms-export systems in the world and that export decisions are made in light of international humanitarian law, which the government reviews regularly.
When an unidentified questioner asked whether the crisis in the Middle East was hampering efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis, the Foreign Secretary rejected an accusation of double standards. He said the two situations were not analogous, describing the Russia attack on Ukraine as an unprovoked invasion and contrasting that with the October 7 attacks on Israel. "Israel does have a right to self defence," he said, and cited the October 7 toll of "almost 1,400 people" as context for that claim.
Asked about Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposed post-conflict plan, the Foreign Secretary said any meaningful pause in fighting should secure hostage releases, and he advocated for a new Palestinian authority, possibly technocratic, to create a political horizon toward a two-state solution. He said those responsible for October 7, the Hamas leadership, would need to leave Gaza and that the infrastructure of terror would need to be dismantled to provide security guarantees for Israel and dignity for Palestinians.
The Foreign Secretary's answers emphasized legal review of export licences and reiterated a position that seeks both an immediate pause to protect hostages and longer-term political arrangements for Palestinians; the government did not announce changes to export licensing during the session.
