A new report by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International, and Workers for a Free Palestine reveals the extent to which the British government has continued supplying military goods, including components for F-35 fighter jets, to Israel during its genocidal war on Gaza despite public statements alleging the contrary. Using data from the Israel Tax Authority, the report shows that since October 2023, hundreds of thousands of bullets and thousands of mines, bombs, armored vehicles, and their parts have been shipped to Israel.
Not only has Keir Starmer’s cabinet continued to provide material support for the genocide, but it has also misled the British public: Foreign Secretary David Lammy claimed that goods exported to Israel were “defensive in nature.” “The government deliberately shrouds this issue in secrecy, but the new report uncovers the scale of goods being sent to Israel – over 160,000 military goods,” MP Zarah Sultana said to Double Down News. “The government has lied to Parliament and to the public.”
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Among the exported items, F-35 components are under particular scrutiny. These jets, used to drop 900-kilogram bombs on people in Gaza, are assembled through a global supply chain involving the United States, Canada, Italy, and Denmark, among others. A significant portion of their components is made in Britain, meaning that ending UK exports could impact Israel’s capacity to continue its attacks. And while the Starmer government formally suspended direct shipments of these components to Israel in late 2024, the report presents data suggesting such deliveries continued well into March 2025.
The British government’s actions stand in stark contrast to public opinion, which supports an arms embargo on Israel. They also contradict claims made by government officials that Britain is not complicit in Israel’s ethnic cleansing or violations of international law. “No amount of ‘deep concern’ can make up for the military, economic, and political support our government continues to provide,” the Independent Alliance in Parliament stated on May 7. “No words can negate the sale of deadly F-35 components. And no statements ‘urging’ Israel to stop can match the impunity it has been granted to carry on.”
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In the current context, MP Sultana warned, “every bomb dropped, every person killed bears the stain of British support.” Refusing to allow this to continue, the report’s authors have called for a protest in London on May 9. Labor groups involved in the initiative are also ramping up action on other fronts. They released a call recalling past trade union actions for Gaza and urging unions to commit to the cause of Palestinian liberation using all available means. Among their demands are a full explanation of UK arms exports to Israel, David Lammy’s resignation, and an immediate arms embargo.
“We have the power to refuse the utilization of our labor to support the genocide in Palestine,” the call to action reads. “If the Starmer government continue to refuse to implement an arms embargo, we must enact a people’s arms embargo.”
