LONDON — The British government on Tuesday defended its decision to restrict some arm sales to Israel, amid growing domestic and international criticism.
“We’ve made this legal judgment as a result of the process we’re required to follow,” British Defense Secretary John Healey said of the move to suspend 30 of 250 arms export licenses where the government says there is “a clear risk” that the arms may be used in “serious violation of international humanitarian law” in Gaza.
Healey stressed Tuesday that the country remains “a staunch ally” of Israel, adding that “our determination to stand with Israel, to be part of the collective defense if they come under direct attack again, as they have done before, remains resolute and absolute.”