Britain's role in arming Israel
From: The Independent, 2 August 2014
Documents shown to The
Independent reveal that arms export licences worth £42m have been granted
to 130 British defence manufacturers since 2010 to sell military equipment to
Israel. These range from weapons control and targeting systems to ammunition,
drones and armoured vehicles.
Among the
manufacturers given permission to make sales were two UK companies supplying
components for the Hermes drone, described by the Israeli air force as the
“backbone” of its targeting and reconnaissance missions. One of the two
companies also supplies components for Israel’s main battle tank.
The Hermes drone
has been widely used during Operation Protective Edge, the ongoing Israeli
military action in Gaza, to monitor Palestinians and guided missile strikes.
The situation in the Occupied Territory deteriorated further today when a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire collapsed within hours amid further
shelling and the capture of an Israeli soldier.
