Starmer signals review of UK arms sales to Israel under Labour government

The UK Government has resisted pressure to halt the licences, amid concerns that Israel could be in breach of international humanitarian law.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey in Bury in Greater Manchester, while on the General Election campaign trail (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Legal advice on UK arms sales to Israel would be reviewed under a Labour government, Sir Keir Starmer has suggested.

More than 100 artists and celebrities have called on the Labour leader to revoke UK export licences to Israel if his party wins the election.

The UK Government has resisted pressure to halt the licences in recent months, amid concerns that Israel could be in breach of international humanitarian law as the conflict in Gaza continues.

Deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell has previously said UK companies provide an estimated 0.02% of Israel’s overall arms imports.

Answering media questions at a campaign event at the Fusilier Museum in Bury, Sir Keir said: “It is for the Government obviously to review the licences. They do it one by one.

“They have got legal advice. We’ve been pressing them to disclose that legal advice. And I still press them to disclose that legal advice.

“Obviously, if we’re privileged to come in to power, we’ll be able to see that advice or commission our own.

“But look, I will just add this, that the Rafah offensive should not go ahead. And that I think our Government should follow the US lead on this in relation to arms sales and review the licences to see whether any of them would be or are being used in the Rafah offensive.”

He said his “number one priority is to ensure we get a ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war.

Sir Keir added a Labour government would have a “duty” to play a “full part” in resolving the conflict in the Middle East for the long-term.

He insisted human rights, international law and accountability “matters in Gaza”, adding: “You wouldn’t be human if you were not affected by the images that we’ve seen, the reports coming out of Gaza, the sheer number of people who have been killed – many of them women and children – and also the knowledge that hostages are still being held.”

The Labour leader went on: “The best thing we can do for both sides, for everybody concerned is to press for that ceasefire immediately, straight away. That’s been our position for weeks and weeks and weeks and months.

“We will join with other countries to that end if we get the opportunity to do so and I think there’s a lot of common ground here with other people, who I know are deeply concerned about the issue in Gaza and I’m not surprised.

“But the first and most fundamental thing is getting that ceasefire, ensuring we can get hostages out – I shudder to think what state they will be in – to make sure we can get humanitarian aid in, desperately needed and has been for a long time, an absolute catastrophe.

“And then that duty we will have if we come into power to play our full part in resolving the conflict in the Middle East for the long-term and that can only happen if we work with our allies, if we play our part on the world stage and clear the path for a two-state solution – I’m not going to pretend that’s going to be easy, I’m not going to pretend this isn’t a very difficult starting point but that has to be, will be, the only way forward.”