As the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to rise, there is increasing global pressure for countries to halt arms sales to Israel. The United States Senate approved a $14 billion bill to support Israel’s war on Gaza, adding to the $3 billion in annual military aid the US already provides. Many other countries also support Israel through arms sales.
With more than 28,000 dead and thousands more trapped or presumed dead, the escalating death toll has prompted international condemnation and calls for countries to suspend arms supplies to Israel. Some countries, such as the European Union and the Netherlands, are taking steps to block exports of military equipment to Israel.
The United States remains the largest supplier of weapons to Israel, accounting for 68 percent of Israel’s weapons imports between 2013 and 2022. Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France, among others, also provide military support to Israel through exports of weapons or military equipment.
However, some countries are responding to the pressure to halt arms sales. The Netherlands has been given a week to block exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, while Belgium has suspended two licences for the export of gunpowder. Japan’s Itochu Corporation has announced it will end its partnership with Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
The International Court of Justice’s interim ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, which stated that Israel may be “plausibly” committing genocide in Gaza, has played a crucial role in the push to halt arms sales. The ruling has spurred humanitarian organisations to pressure their governments to halt arms exports, as weapons sales and military aid could be seen as complicity in genocide and a violation of international law.