UK Halts Arms Sales to Israel

The new Labour government in the United Kingdom has quietly imposed a ban on arms sales to Israel, triggering widespread anger, according to reports from British and Israeli sources.

The Jerusalem Post, citing the Daily Mail, reported that British officials and civil servants have paused applications for arms export licenses to Israel.

This decision awaits a review by the new Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, who is examining potential war crimes evidence from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Lammy's final decision is expected later this summer, and in the meantime, the license freeze prevents the shipment of military radios and protective gear to Israel.

An anonymous source informed the British newspaper that all new license applications are indefinitely postponed, which could last for months.

The source added that Labour has aimed to halt all arms exports to Israel since coming into power. 

Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell described the move as odd, especially given recent Iranian threats against Israel and escalating tensions on Israel's northern border.

Former British forces commander in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp, criticized the government's decision, calling it a "secret arms embargo" and expressing disappointment over Labour's stance.

Kemp argued that it is disgraceful for Labour to claim they are reviewing the matter while simultaneously enforcing an effective ban on arms sales to Israel.