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Report: UK’s ‘double lock’ on arms to Israel suspends nothing
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband leaves 10 Downing Street following the first cabinet meeting of the new legislative session in London, United Kingdom, on September 08, 2026. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]
The British government has not suspended or revoked a single additional arms export licence for Israel since announcing what Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described as a “double lock” on military sales, according to an investigation by Declassified UK.
Miliband announced a package of measures on 8 September targeting Israel’s illegal occupation and settlement activity. The measures included plans to prohibit trade with illegal settlements and refuse applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation of Palestinian territory.
However, responding to a parliamentary question from independent MP Iqbal Mohamed, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade confirmed that no further licences had been suspended or revoked since the announcement.
The department said this was largely because licences covering equipment that could contribute to the occupation had already been suspended over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. It added that existing licences remain under review and could be withdrawn if they are found to contribute materially to the occupation.
The disclosure has raised questions about the practical effect of Miliband’s restrictions. Ministers had claimed the measures went much further than the action taken by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government in 2024, when it suspended 30 of the roughly 350 arms export licences for Israel that were active at the time.
Declassified UK said the latest measures had made no immediate material difference to the flow of military goods between Britain and Israel.
READ: UK sanctions on illegal settlements mark diplomatic setback, major failure for Netanyahu: Israeli report
British-made components for F-35 fighter aircraft continue to enter a global spare-parts pool accessible to Israel. The government has maintained an exemption for the multinational F-35 programme, despite the aircraft’s use in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Parts for Israel’s M-346 military training aircraft also remain eligible for export. The government says such components are not used in Gaza and do not materially support the illegal occupation. However, the Foreign Office has previously acknowledged that the aircraft train Israeli pilots and help develop the air force’s offensive capabilities.
Martin Butcher, Oxfam’s policy adviser on arms and conflict, said the government’s stated intention to end British military support for the occupation was being undermined by an excessively narrow interpretation of its international legal obligations. He called for all British exports of F-35 and military training aircraft components to Israel to end.
Dearbhla Minogue of the Global Legal Action Network, which challenged the government over arms exports to Israel, said the measures appeared to impose no concrete consequences despite Britain’s recognition of the likelihood of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
The mother of a British aid worker killed by Israel in Gaza has called on the government to halt all arms sales and sever military ties with Tel Aviv. Legal experts and campaigners have repeatedly warned that the F-35 exemption may conflict with Britain’s obligations under the Genocide Convention.
Emily Apple of Campaign Against Arms Trade described the “double lock” as a political soundbite that had failed to produce meaningful change. Campaigners are calling for a comprehensive two-way arms embargo covering direct exports, the F-35 supply chain, military imports and government contracts with Israeli weapons companies.
READ: British banks urged to avoid financing Israeli settlements ahead of UK trade ban
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
26 September 2026
5 Netanyahu claims at UN that clash with documented findings
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A large group of Jewish and Muslim demonstrators carrying banners and Palestinian flags march from Bryant Park toward the United Nations headquarters to protest the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump regarding the war in Gaza in New York, United States, on September 24, 2026. [Waleed Zein – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly used the UN General Assembly podium to defend Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, making claims that have been challenged by international bodies, humanitarian agencies and, in some cases, data from Israel’s own military, Anadolu reports.
In speeches between 2024 and 2026, Netanyahu rejected allegations of genocide, described civilian casualties as exceptionally low, blamed Hamas for Gaza’s aid crisis and played down Israeli occupier violence in the occupied West Bank.
A review of five such claims shows substantial discrepancies between Netanyahu’s account and documented findings.
– Genocide allegation is ‘the greatest lie of the century’
In his 2026 UN address, Netanyahu called accusations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza “the greatest lie of the century,” arguing that warnings to civilians, vaccinations and food deliveries were incompatible with genocide.
A UN-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry reached the opposite conclusion in September 2025. After examining witness testimony, satellite imagery, official statements and other evidence, it found reasonable grounds that Israeli authorities and forces had committed four of the five acts defined as genocide under the Genocide Convention.
The commission also concluded that statements by Netanyahu and other senior officials were evidence of genocidal intent. Israel rejected the findings.
The International Court of Justice has not issued a final judgment in South Africa’s genocide case, but has ordered Israel to prevent acts covered by the convention and enable urgently needed humanitarian assistance.
– Civilian casualty ratio is exceptionally low
Netanyahu told the General Assembly in 2025 that Gaza’s civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio was below two to one, calling it exceptionally low.
He also said in his Sept. 27, 2024 UN address: “And no army has done what Israel is doing to minimize civilian casualties.”
A joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call, based on a classified Israeli military intelligence database, found that as of May 2025 about 8,900 named Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters were listed as dead or probably dead, compared with an overall death toll of about 53,000.
The figures suggested roughly 83% of those killed were civilians.
Since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and around 175,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
READ: Protesters outside UN’s New York headquarters demand Netanyahu face war crimes charges
– Hamas stole much of Gaza’s humanitarian aid
Netanyahu has repeatedly accused Hamas of stealing large quantities of aid entering Gaza.
In his 2026 UN address, he said Hamas “stole much of the food we let into Gaza,” as he argued that the group was keeping Palestinian civilians in harm’s way.
An internal US Agency for International Development review found no evidence of systematic diversion of US-funded aid by Hamas. It examined 156 cases of theft or loss between October 2023 and May 2025 and found no indication that Hamas benefited.
Senior Israeli military officials were also reported to have said they found no evidence that Hamas systematically stole UN aid, describing the UN distribution system as largely effective.
– Two million tons of food disproves starvation claims
Netanyahu told the UN that Israel had enabled the distribution of 2 million tons of food into Gaza, or about one ton per resident, presenting the figure as evidence against allegations of starvation and genocide.
“What genocidal regime enables the distribution of 2 million tons of food into Gaza? That’s a ton for every person.”
But aid entering Gaza is not the same as food reaching civilians. UN agencies have documented restrictions, insecurity, damaged roads and military operations that hindered collection and distribution.
Israel completely halted the entry of goods and humanitarian supplies from March 2 to May 18, 2025, and has repeatedly blocked, restricted, and paused the entry of humanitarian supplies over long periods throughout the conflict
In August 2025, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate, saying more than half a million people across Gaza faced catastrophic conditions marked by starvation, destitution and death.
The latest IPC assessment says 1.4 million people are still projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity through December 2026.
– Occupier violence is the work of a small fringe
In his 2026 address, Netanyahu described violence by Israelis in the occupied West Bank as the work of about 150 “juvenile delinquents” and suggested only “two or three” Palestinians had been killed.
UN monitoring shows a far wider pattern.
By July 20, 2026, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had recorded more than 1,330 occupier attacks resulting in casualties or property damage since the start of the year — more than six a day.
OCHA also recorded 18 Palestinian deaths linked to occupier attacks by that date: 12 killed by occupiers, three by Israeli forces and three in cases where responsibility was disputed.
Between January 2023 and July 2026, OCHA said occupier attacks and related access restrictions had caused full or partial displacement in 121 Palestinian communities.
The figures contrast with Netanyahu’s portrayal of occupier violence as a marginal phenomenon.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
26 September 2026
Israeli opposition party leader says state’s global standing at all-time low, warns of economic collapse
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Former Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman speaks during a press conference at the Israeli Parliament on 14 November 2018 in Jerusalem [Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images]
Yisrael Beiteinu opposition party leader Avigdor Liberman said Friday that Israel’s global standing had reached an “unprecedented low,” warning of a “real economic collapse” because of European sanctions and their impact on trade, Anadolu reports.
Liberman made the remarks in a post through US social media company X, commenting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
“Israel’s standing in the world has reached an unprecedented low,” Liberman said.
“For years, Israel benefited from the American veto at the UN Security Council. I believe that as long as (US President Donald) Trump remains president, the veto will continue to be available to us. Under the next president, whether Republican or Democrat, the reality could change,” he added.
Liberman also addressed Israel’s relations with the UK, saying Israel has been without an ambassador in London for a year, which he attributed to “intrigues in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
He warned of the economic repercussions of European sanctions, saying: “Sanctions on trade between Israel and the EU could bring about a genuine economic collapse.”
In September 2025, the European Commission proposed suspending some trade privileges granted to Israel under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which would subject Israeli imports to tariffs instead of preferential treatment.
READ: Protesters outside UN’s New York headquarters demand Netanyahu face war crimes charges
The commission said the proposal came over what it described as the Israeli government’s violation of provisions concerning respect for human rights. The proposal, however, still required approval from member states and did not receive the majority needed for adoption.
The EU has also imposed sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers and organizations linked to them over violations against Palestinians in the West Bank, including asset freezes and travel bans on listed individuals.
In May 2026, the EU added three individuals and four Israeli entities to its sanctions lists, while it said in September that measures taken in this context covered a total of 12 individuals and nine entities.
Commenting on Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly speech Thursday, Liberman said: “The man (Netanyahu), and along with him Israel, has become a pariah and a burden on the Western world.”
Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday before a largely empty hall after delegations from several countries walked out in protest against Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip and continued violations in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria, as large demonstrations took place across the city.
Liberman called for a change in Israel’s leadership, saying it was necessary. “On Oct. 27, the leadership that is leading Israel toward a diplomatic, security, and economic catastrophe must be replaced.”
“The next government that we establish will restore Israel’s standing in the United States and around the world,” he added.
Liberman’s remarks came 33 days before Israeli elections scheduled for October amid sharp domestic political debate over Netanyahu government policies, with opposition figures criticizing his UN speech while ministers and members of the governing coalition praised it.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and around 175,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
26 September 2026

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