Foreign Secretary David Lammy is facing calls for international prosecution after new evidence reveals he may have lied to Parliament and actively facilitated Israeli war crimes in Gaza—including attacks that killed thousands of civilians, many of them women and children.
Lammy is now the subject of growing legal and political scrutiny amid allegations that he oversaw arms exports and intelligence transfers to Israel at the height of what international courts are now treating as a genocidal campaign.
An investigation by journalist Matt Kennard, published by Dropsite News, has uncovered trade data showing that more than 8,630 munitions were sent from the UK to Israel between September 2024 and February 2025—after Lammy told Parliament those exports had been suspended.
“He told MPs the UK had stopped exporting weapons that could be used in Gaza. That was a lie,” Kennard said. “If that lie enabled war crimes, Lammy belongs in The Hague, not in government.”
Misleading Parliament — And the World
In a statement to Parliament in September 2024, Lammy said Britain had suspended 29 arms export licences and assured lawmakers that remaining shipments were “defensive in nature.” But customs records from Israel directly contradict that claim.
Among the exported items were parts for the F-35 fighter jet, which has been used to bomb hospitals, schools, and refugee camps in Gaza—despite the UK’s own legal advice warning of a “clear risk” of these aircraft being used to violate international humanitarian law (IHL).
“Lammy knew what these parts were used for. He knew who they were going to. And he chose to protect a political alliance over innocent lives,” said Ahmed Abofoul, a Gaza-born lawyer with the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq.
Abofoul, who lost over 60 relatives in Israeli attacks, described Lammy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “monstrous war criminals.”
From Complicity to Participation
Legal analysts say the line between complicity and active participation in war crimes has now been crossed.
Alongside the arms exports, Lammy also oversaw Britain’s ongoing role in daily RAF surveillance flights over Gaza, which have provided targeting intelligence to Israeli forces. The UK government claims the flights were meant to assist with hostage rescue, but refuses to disclose which branches of Israel’s government received the data.
“Providing intelligence used in attacks on civilian targets makes the UK a participant in this war,” said Kennard. “And Lammy, as foreign secretary, is directly responsible.”
The F-35 Carve-Out: Britain’s Legal Betrayal
Internal government documents reveal that Lammy, in coordination with Defence Secretary John Healey, carved out an exception to allow F-35 exports to continue—despite clear legal advice warning of a high risk that the parts would be used in IHL violations.
Court filings in Al-Haq’s ongoing legal challenge against the UK show that Labour delayed suspending any exports for five weeks after it privately concluded that UK arms could be used in war crimes. During that period, 1,716 Palestinians were killed.
In one documented case, an F-35 airstrike on a designated “safe zone” killed 90 civilians in a single attack.
“To keep exporting those parts anyway, knowing what they were doing with them—that’s not oversight. That’s aiding mass murder,” said Abofoul.
Could Lammy Face Charges at The Hague?
Legal experts point to several potential charges under the Rome Statute, including:
- Aiding and abetting war crimes
- Failure to prevent genocide
- Providing material support for crimes against humanity
- Obstruction of justice through false parliamentary declarations
If prosecutors at the ICC or ICJ determine that Lammy knowingly misled Parliament and continued supplying weapons or intelligence used in unlawful attacks, he could face criminal proceedings under international law.
Already, the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing “reasonable grounds” to believe he deliberately used starvation and bombing of civilian infrastructure as tools of war.
A Pattern of Deception
Kennard’s report, verified by The Guardian, shows that Lammy’s September 2024 announcement was not just inadequate—it was deceptive.
“The supposed ‘suspension’ was designed to calm the public, not to restrain Israel,” said Kennard. “They carved out exceptions, refused to disclose what licenses were actually frozen, and allowed deadly shipments to continue.”
The UK’s carve-out for F-35 parts, according to court documents, was justified by a desire to “maintain US confidence” in the UK defence sector—particularly its collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the lead manufacturer of the F-35.
This, critics argue, represents a profound subordination of international law to Anglo-American military interests.
Media Silence, Legal Pressure
Aside from The Guardian, mainstream British media has largely ignored the revelations—raising concerns about a culture of media complicity.
However, pressure is growing in legal circles. Former Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has called for a full parliamentary inquiry, stating that if Lammy misled Parliament, it would be “a resigning matter.” But Palestinian lawyers say resignation is not enough.
“We will not rest until Lammy, Starmer, and all responsible are held accountable in domestic and international courts,” said Abofoul.
“This is Britain’s War Too”
Lammy’s role is part of a broader pattern of British involvement in the war on Gaza—from weapons to intelligence, from public deception to political shielding.
“The bombs fell on Gaza, but the silence came from Westminster,” said Kennard. “And in that silence, thousands died.”
The road to accountability may be long—but with mounting evidence, growing legal cases, and international courts now watching, David Lammy may yet face justice not in the House of Commons, but in The Hague.
