DaysofPal- Shipping documents obtained by the British news platform ‘Declassified and The Ditch’ reveal that British arms factories, which have faced protests by pro-Palestine activists over the past 15 months, have been exporting military equipment to Israel.
According to the platforms, this disclosure serves as confirmation of the efforts of the activist group Palestine Action, which has led campaigns to halt Israel’s war machine within the United Kingdom.
The documents reveal that several companies linked to Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, which produces many of the drones and missiles used to kill Palestinians, have been exporting equipment to Israel.
While the exact nature of these exports remains unclear, the shipment processing sites and British arms export data strongly suggest they included weapon components.
Huda Amouri, co-founder of Palestine Action, told Declassified: “This revelation confirms that taking direct action against the Israeli arms industry in Britain is a crucial element in resisting colonialism and genocide.”
She added that the new information “not only exposes the merchants of death but also vindicates those who risked their freedom to stop these companies.”
Over the past 15 months, dozens of Palestine Action activists have been arrested, with many still in detention or serving prison sentences.
In the same context, a study published by The Lancet revealed that over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, while Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing genocide.
Elbit Systems at the Center of the Storm
Shipping documents show that at least four companies linked to Elbit Systems have exported equipment to Israel since the bombing of Gaza began.
Among these companies is Instro Precision, which manufactures military electro-optical sensors used for target detection, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The company has obtained dozens of licenses to export weapons to Israel, including components for “targeting equipment” and “military aircraft displays.”
In 2023, the Instro Precision factory in Kent was targeted by Palestine Action activists, who caused property damage exceeding £1 million. The activists claimed the company “manufactures equipment for identifying targets, including to destroy or kill them.”
Shipping documents show that four shipments were sent from the company’s Kent location to Elbit Systems factories in Israel between November 2023 and January 2024.
The Elbit Systems facility in Filton, Bristol, has also been targeted by activists since its opening in 2023.
It is believed that 18 people are currently in prison on charges related to actions against this “center for research, development, and manufacturing,” with British police using anti-terrorism powers to interrogate them.
Other Companies Involved
Elbit Systems is not the only beneficiary of British arms exports to Israel. Cyntec (formerly known as Solvay), based in Wrexham, has exported composite materials for the Hermes 450 drone manufactured by Elbit.
This type of drone has been linked to the deaths of dozens of civilians in Gaza, including an Israeli airstrike last year that killed seven international aid workers, three of whom were British.
Additionally, the British engineering company Martin-Baker exported ejection seats for military aircraft to an Elbit Systems facility in Karmiel, Israel, in October 2024.
These seats are used in the Israeli Air Force’s training aircraft, which Elbit maintains under a $38 million contract.
The documents also revealed that Teledyne Defense & Space, based in Shipley, Yorkshire, has been exporting electronic equipment to Israel since October 2023.
The company has received 28 licenses to export weapons to Israel since 2021, and its facility in Shipley was occupied and dismantled by Palestine Action activists in April 2024.
Shipments from Teledyne were sent to a location near the Israeli Air Force’s Hatzerim airbase in the Negev Desert, which houses fighter jets and the Israeli Air Force Academy.
Calls to End Involvement
Emily Apple, spokesperson for the Campaign Against Arms Trade, told Declassified: “These shipments show that these companies believe they can act with impunity and continue their complicity in the genocide being carried out by Israel.”
She added: “If our government refuses to halt these shipments and impose a full arms embargo, it is up to ordinary people to continue the pressure and show that we will not allow the merchants of death to keep profiting at the expense of Palestinian lives.”
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