In a significant development, four distinguished former British military commanders have formally urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to implement a comprehensive arms embargo against Israel and immediately suspend all defense collaborations with Israeli-linked firms. The high-ranking veterans, possessing decades of combined service, argue that despite the current ceasefire in Gaza, maintaining military ties is untenable given evidence of Israeli war crimes.
The signatories, including John Deverell—a veteran of over thirty years who served as defense attache in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during 9/11—alongside former UK Defence Academy Director General Andrew Graham, retired Major General Peter Currie, and ex-Afghanistan commander Charlie Herbert, delivered their forceful appeal via letter. They explicitly challenged the UK Defense Ministry’s previous assertion that Israeli military protocols closely mirror Britain’s rigorous standards.
Citing Israel’s deployment of indiscriminate munitions leading to ‘exceptionally disproportionate civilian fatalities and widespread infrastructure destruction,’ the officers condemned the ongoing military cooperation. They emphasized that documented evidence of war crimes is so compelling that continued collaboration risks British complicity. Their demands extend beyond an arms embargo to include prohibiting RAF and contracted aircraft from supporting Israeli military operations and suspending all military technology transfers.
This call for stricter sanctions emerges amid revelations that UK arms exports to Israel have dramatically increased under the current Labour government. Recent export data shows approvals for military aircraft, radars, targeting equipment, and explosive devices between October-December 2024 surpassed total arms licenses granted throughout the entire 2020-2023 Conservative administration.
The controversy deepens as the British army prepares to award a £2 billion training contract, with a subsidiary of Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems participating in one bidding consortium. Meanwhile, Palestinian health authorities report over 400 fatalities since the October ceasefire violations, adding to the staggering death toll exceeding 70,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—since hostilities began in October 2023.