When the UK government announced in September 2024 that it was suspending arms export licences to Israel, it made headlines.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy reassured Parliament that British-supplied weapons wouldn’t support "violations of international law."
The public was told shipments would stop.
Transparency, they promised.
The data tell another story.
A new investigation reveals that since the ban, the UK has sent thousands of munitions, aircraft components, and even tank parts to Israel-directly.
Not only have the shipments continued, they’ve increased in volume.
And much of it appears to be tied to F-35 jet components, the same weapons system used in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza.
The suspension was political theatre.
The arms trade never paused.
📦 From London to Tel Aviv-On the Record
Between October 2023 and March 2025:
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160,000+ military goods shipped from the UK to Israel
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150,000 bullets exported in a single October 2023 shipment
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8,630 munitions sent after the September 2024 licence suspension
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299 components linked to armoured vehicles and tanks
Despite government claims, air and sea shipments to Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa Port are documented and traceable. These aren’t grey-zone exports. They’re registered transactions, logged with Israeli customs.
"Much of what we send is defensive in nature… it is not what we describe routinely as arms."
- David Lammy, House of Commons
The evidence shows bombs, rockets, bullets, and vehicle parts-not helmets and goggles.
✈️ The F-35 Loophole
The most damning detail? F-35 jet parts are still being shipped.
Though the UK claimed to have cut off direct F-35 component exports, researchers tracked courier shipments from RAF Marham to Tel Aviv via Heathrow Airport, facilitated by Lockheed Martin UK and flown by El Al Airlines.
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14 direct F-35 parts shipments occurred after the ban
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Shipment weights and codes matched those in classified MoD contracts
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All routed under a courier designation used for "sensitive cargo"
These parts are not just spares-they’re critical to sustaining the Israeli F-35 fleet, the very aircraft used in precision bombing runs over Gaza.
📊 The Ban That Wasn’t
Government data confirms a statistically significant increase in aircraft part shipments after the supposed suspension. Even the UK’s own licensing records show:
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Only 16 of 368 export licences to Israel were actually suspended
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Of the 352 active licences, 161 are military
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The Open General Export Licence for F-35 components was explicitly exempted
There was no freeze-just a political press release.
"There has been no observable decrease in aircraft shipments since the September 2024 suspension."
- Investigative Report, PYM & Progressive International
🕳️ Transparency by Omission
Licensing data is intentionally opaque. The UK government withholds:
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Specific consignee names
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Bill of lading data
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Product-level descriptions
Even basic shipment paths are scrubbed of identifiers, leaving watchdogs and the public in the dark.
It’s not oversight.
It’s design.
💣 Arms with Consequences
Whether these weapons were fired or stored is irrelevant.
By its own rules, the UK must not export arms if there’s a "clear risk" they’ll contribute to violations of international law.
Every confirmed shipment puts the government in breach.
Every denial compounds the lie.
