Israeli customs data reveal that the value of UK arms exported to Israel reached a record high in June this year.
The value of UK arms imported by Israel “reached a record high in June”, despite the UK announcing a partial halt to arms trade with Israel last year, according to an exclusive Channel 4 FactCheck analysis.
In September 2024, the UK government announced a suspension of 29 licences that were used to export arsm to Israel.
The reason cited for this move was that it believed the weapons “might be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law”.
Despite this, around 350 licences are believed to remain active, 160 of which are listed as “military”.
Therefore, the UK is still actively involved in facilitating and arming Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, which has left over 65,000 Palestinians dead.
At the time of the suspension of the 29 licences, the UK government stated that it was blocking the sale of “items used in the current conflict in Gaza which go to the IDF”.
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However, through a careful analysis of Israel Tax Authority figures by Channel 4’s FactCheck team, the numbers reveal that munitions worth around £400,000 passed through Israeli customs in June 2025, coming directly from the UK.
This constitutes the highest figure recorded in a single month since the records from the Israel Tax Authority became available more than three years ago.
The weapons sold to Israel were not named exactly, but were listed under the same category that includes bombs, grenades, torpedoes, missiles, and mines.
On September 16, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry stated that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the conflict in October 2023.
UK government denies the figures
The UK government responded to Channel 4 FactCheck stating: “We take our arms control system very seriously and have taken every possible measure to ensure no licences are given for UK military exports that could be used by the IDF in Gaza.”
Channel 4’s analysis revealed that exactly 281 units of unspecified items worth £400,000 were sent to Israel from the UK in June 2025.
The UK exports were categorised as “other” under a broader category which includes bombs, grenades and ammunition.
Both the UK and Israeli governments refused to provide any details on what the shipments entailed.
The analysis also revealed that shipments of UK arms to Israel in August 2025 included one shipment worth £20,000 which was categorised as “bullets”. This categorisation was made according to the Israeli customs codebook.
Further shipments in August were classified under parts for “tanks” and parts “of shotguns or rifles”. August’s shipments to Israel from the UK totalled more than £150,000.
UK and Israel respond to claims
Israel said that they “are not permitted to disclose further information” and that the categories specified in FactCheck’s enquiry “may include a broad variety of items which are not necessarily live ammunition or weapons”.
The UK government said: “We do not export any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank.”
Adding further to their comment, they said that the tax data doesn’t differentiate between “live munitions and training equipment or sporting ammunition for civilian use”, or for items intended for “re-export”.
Israel’s main arms suppliers are the United States, Germany, and Italy, in that order.
Between 2020 and 2024, 66% of Israel’s arms were supplied by the US, followed by 33% by Germany, and 1% by Italy.
Various analysts and human rights groups have called out the UK for its complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
From arms sales, RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza, intelligence information sharing, and training Israeli soldiers in top UK military institutions, this is not the first time the UK has been criticised for its military support of Israel.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) concluded that since 2016, the value of UK parts in 45 F-35 planes delivered to Israel is about £430 million.
