An investigative report has revealed a broad network of relations between the British Ministry of Defence and Israeli arms companies, notably Elbit Systems and Rafael, through government contracts estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, despite measures recently announced by London against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
British journalist John McEvoy, who helped prepare the investigation, said the work began as an attempt to test how serious Britain's latest measures were and determine whether they represented a genuine shift in London's policy, or whether their impact remained limited amid continued British military cooperation with Israel and its defence companies.
The investigation showed that Britain continues military cooperation with Israeli companies in several fields while taking measures against settlements. McEvoy believes the policy addresses the symptoms rather than the roots of the problem, arguing that the issue of settlements cannot be separated from Israeli state institutions, which he said ensure their continuation.
The British journalist described the latest measures as having limited impact compared with other options available to London, including imposing a comprehensive two-way arms embargo, cancelling contracts between the British Ministry of Defence and Israeli companies, and ending intelligence cooperation between Britain and Israel.
F-35 components and British military training
According to the investigation, Britain continues to allow the export of components for Israeli F-35 aircraft through the Global Spares Pool, alongside direct shipments of components used to support the aircraft fleet. This was among the most prominent forms of military cooperation examined by the investigation.
It also reported that around 300 British soldiers took part in a large-scale military exercise called Pegasus Athena, coinciding with the announcement of sanctions on settlements. The Israeli company Elbit Systems supervised and conducted the training, which McEvoy considered evidence of a gap between the announced political measures and continuing military relations.
The investigation documented the use of Israeli military technologies across different branches of the British armed forces. According to its findings, Rafael provides the core guidance system for Britain's Sky Sabre air-defence system, deployed in the Falkland Islands, and also supplies guidance pods for Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft.
The British Army also uses simulation software and artificial intelligence technologies developed by Elbit to train soldiers to operate tanks and armoured vehicles. The investigation also referred to the use of the MUSIC system in electronic warfare and in protecting British warships, as part of a range of Israeli technologies used in the United Kingdom's defence capabilities.
Military cooperation in light of the advisory opinion
The investigation linked these relations to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in 2024 concerning the unlawfulness of Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories. According to the investigation's reading, the advisory opinion imposes on states an obligation not to provide “aid or assistance” that contributes to the continuation of the unlawful situation.
McEvoy said Britain's continued signing of contracts with companies that supply the Israeli army with military equipment, ammunition and drones raised, in his view, questions about the extent to which London was meeting its legal responsibilities. He noted that the British government had recently begun using stronger language when addressing the situation in the Palestinian territories.
In this context, he pointed to British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's use of terms including “ethnic cleansing” and “settler terrorism”. McEvoy nevertheless said the shift in political language had not been matched by a similar change in some areas of cooperation, particularly intelligence cooperation, which he described as a central element of military and security relations between Britain and Israel.
Long-term cooperation plans in defence and space
Based on leaked documents, the investigation revealed plans for long-term military and security cooperation between the two countries under a project called Hizuk. According to the documents, the plans include joint research and development work in autonomous warfare, artificial intelligence, guided weapons and space.
Responding to the investigation's findings, the British Ministry of Defence said all contracts and suppliers were subject to strict security and legal vetting procedures, which were implemented in accordance with applicable transparency standards.
McEvoy, by contrast, said the investigation's findings represented only a limited part of the scale of the existing relations, and that broad aspects of military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries remained secret.
