The British government has blocked more than 80 export licences involving equipment that could potentially be used by the IDF in Gaza, almost three times the number initially suspended in September 2024.
According to the British Jewish Chronicle (JC), approximately 30 licences were suspended under the original restrictions, while more than 50 subsequent applications have since been rejected.
Middle East Minister Stephen Doughty said additional measures adopted on September 8 had further restricted British arms exports to Israel, requiring applications to undergo scrutiny under two separate considerations.
The revised process examines both potential violations of international humanitarian law and the British government's position regarding the legality of Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria.
Doughty said he had personally examined every export licence to verify that approved equipment was not being incorporated into weapons deployed in Gaza.
Speaking at a Labour Party conference event organised by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), the minister also cautioned against inaccurate descriptions of export licences, explaining that some authorisations involve medical supplies, including cystic fibrosis treatments, or protective equipment intended for journalists and humanitarian organisations.
Nevertheless, Doughty maintained that Britain could introduce further restrictions on exports to Israel.
The original measures announced by then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy in September 2024 affected approximately 30 of the 350 British arms export licences relating to Israel.
However, British components manufactured for the multinational F-35 fighter aircraft programme remained largely outside the restrictions, drawing criticism from anti-Israel activists.
Doughty defended the exemption, explaining that Britain had halted direct F-35 exports to Israel but continued supplying replacement components through an international distribution system.
He argued that withdrawing British parts from that arrangement could disrupt the wider programme and undermine the security interests of Britain and its allies.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Select Committee chair Emily Thornberry proposed an alternative approach that would allow British manufacturers to continue participating in F-35 production while preventing their components from reaching Israeli aircraft.
Speaking during the same CAABU discussion, Thornberry suggested adopting an arrangement similar to that used by the Netherlands, under which components supplied to the United States would carry explicit restrictions against their use in aircraft destined for Israel.
She argued that such a policy would preserve Britain's involvement in the international fighter jet programme without permitting British-manufactured parts to be incorporated into Israeli aircraft.
Thornberry described the issue as a political decision rather than a legal obstacle and expressed support for introducing similar conditions on British exports.
The British government, meanwhile, continues to authorise exports that satisfy its Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, with existing licences remaining subject to review.