Amnesty International UK are warning Keir Starmer’s government might end a so-called ‘pause’ on arms sales to Israel. The human rights organisation were discussing about a report in the Jewish Chronicle (JC) that claimed sales could be reviewed after phase two of the current ceasefire. Business minister Peter Kyle told the paper that arms licences could be reinstated if the ‘peace’ progresses.
However, there’s a more than a little sleight-of-hand in this discussion. Let’s be clear: there is no pause and there is no ceasefire. Let’s get those two basic realities right before we continue.
The JC reported on 12 January 2025:
Around 30 UK arms export licenses to Israel, paused by the government over the Gaza War, could be “unblocked” after Phase Two of the Gaza ceasefire deal is concluded, the Business and Trade Secretary has confirmed.
Kyle had told the Jewish Labour Movement (JWL) at an event on 11 January that:
that arms licenses and UK-Israel trade talks are “intrinsically linked.”
What, you might justifiably asked, the fuck?
Amnesty take Israel to task
Kyle said:
It would be very difficult to justify one without the other
He added that a:
similar dynamic will lead towards the unblocking of these issues.
And that the UK government was in “regular dialogue” on the matter.
It is good that President Trump is keeping pressure on progress towards a more sustainable peace, and all I can say is that I’m watching very closely.
What I need to see is a movement towards a sustainable peace – and once that happens, we will look at circumstances.
Kyle even reassured the audience that the trade deal the UK was building with Israel would be significantly better than those with Gulf states:
The trade deal that we’re moving towards [with Israel] is actually an upgrade… there is no kind of parity in the kind of trade negotiations we were having with Israel with the Gulf group… because we don’t have bilateral agreements with all of those states.
Needless to say, not everyone was going to let Kyle spout this kind of rubbish about working with the genocidal settler-colonial state of Israel unchallenged.
Enter Amnesty UK.
There is no pause, there is no ceasefire
Amnesty UK weren’t holding back in their response. On X, they called the idea that the UK could unblock arms sales “deeply troubling“:
Let’s not be fooled by talk of “ceasefires” or “peace.” Israel’s genocide in Gaza has not stopped. Killings have continued. The illegal blockade remains as does the system of apartheid. And let’s be clear: the UK never fully banned arms sales in the first place.
The UK government signalling they may unblock arms sales to Israel is deeply troubling.
Let’s not be fooled by talk of “ceasefires” or “peace.” Israel’s genocide in Gaza has not stopped. Killings have continued. The illegal blockade remains as does the system of apartheid.… pic.twitter.com/oxRo6k5mpq
— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) January 12, 2026
They added:
Exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets continued – jets that have been used in Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians.
Moreover, it was a matter of law that countries should not assist Israel’s crimes against Palestine:
The International Court of Justice directed states in July 2024 not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Amnesty also rejected any notion this was all about trade deals or Donald Trump:
To attribute the lifting of this suspension to trade deals or Trump’s plans, rather than to our obligations under international law and ICJ rulings, is highly problematic yet painfully telling about this Government’s real priorities.
These decisions should be grounded in human rights and legal responsibilities, not political manoeuvring.
And they warned the UK that Israel must not be “rewarded” for its wrongdoing:
The UK must not reward Israel as it is deepening its illegal occupation and apartheid policies.
In December, Israel’s war criminal prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced phase two of the ‘peace’ plan was close. In theory, it would involve a further Israel withdrawal from Gaza, which remains occupied and regularly bombed. Some reports claim nearly 500 Palestinians have died since the official ceasefire started on 10 October 2025.
Britain, meanwhile, seems absolutely committed to colluding with Israel in its genocidal war. Kyle’s comments are instructive. In front of a pro-Israel audience his mask – such as it was – slipped, revealing a deep UK loyalty to Israel whatever the cost in Palestinian lives.
Featured image via the Canary
By Joe Glenton
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