UK Arms Exports to Israel: Post-October 2023 Transfers
7 May 2025 report "Exposing UK Arms Exports to Israel"
A newly published report by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Workers for a Free Palestine, and Progressive International presents a detailed account of UK arms-related exports to Israel from October 2023 through March 2025. Drawing on official Israeli tax data and UK export licensing records, the report catalogues dozens of shipments of military goods, munitions, and aircraft parts, including F-35 components, many of which occurred after the UK government’s partial suspension of arms licences in September 2024.
According to the data analysed, the UK shipped over 160,000 items classified under international customs codes for "arms and ammunition" during this 18-month period. These included:
150,000 bullets in October 2023;
9,631 items of munitions such as bombs, grenades, torpedoes, and missiles;
150 rocket launchers and related projectors; and
299 items classified as tanks or armoured fighting vehicle parts.
Despite Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s assurance to Parliament that "much of what we send is defensive in nature" and "not what we describe routinely as arms," the report demonstrates that these shipments are categorised as military goods under Chapter 93 of the World Customs Organization’s Harmonised System – an internationally recognised standard adopted by the UK and Israel.
In addition to munitions, the report focuses on continued shipments of aircraft parts, which account for a significant share of the UK’s support to the Israeli military-industrial ecosystem. Data show no observable decrease in shipments of aircraft components after the September 2024 announcement of licence suspensions; in fact, a statistically significant increase in such shipments was noted in the months that followed.
While the UK government stated that direct exports of F-35 parts to Israel had ceased, the report’s analysis of Israeli customs records and shipping data identifies multiple post-suspension courier shipments consistent with previous patterns of F-35-related transfers from RAF Marham to Israel via Heathrow Airport. These included at least 11 separate courier entries between October 2024 and March 2025, raising questions about the enforcement and transparency of the amended Open General Export Licence covering the F-35.
Researchers caution that while customs classifications do not always distinguish between military and non-military aircraft parts, the scale, continuity, and courier nature of the shipments – including parts labelled “88073000” (other parts of aircraft, helicopters, or unmanned aircraft) – merit closer examination. They state: “The customs codes represented in the courier flights since September 2024 are shown below, followed by a breakdown of shipments by month. It is likely given the customs codes and courier status that these are F-35 parts being exported from the UK to Israel. However, it cannot be confirmed whether they are for maintenance and repair of the current Israeli F-35 fleet at Nevatim Airbase, as in the Declassified UK report, or are intermediary components for eventual re-export to the global F-35 supply chain. In either case, these parts can and do ultimately end up in Israeli F-35s.”
The report’s findings underscore a broader concern: the opacity of the UK’s arms export regime, particularly in times of conflict. As one key passage notes, “specific consignees, shippers, product descriptions, and ports of origin are impossible to access without bill of lading or air waybill data,” making it difficult for Parliament, oversight bodies, or civil society to verify the end-use of sensitive exports.
This evidence-led analysis concludes by calling on the UK government to publish full shipment details and allow for a thorough investigation. In light of the government’s own admission that military goods could pose a “clear risk” of contributing to violations of international humanitarian law, the report raises important policy questions about compliance, accountability, and the UK’s obligations under international law.
Dr Brian Brivati, Executive Director, Britain Palestine Project, brian@britainpalestineproject.org