Serbia has increased the supply of arms and ammunition to Israel, a joint investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and Haaretz showed on Monday.
This came while Britain’s approval of arms export licenses to Israel dropped sharply after the start of the war in Gaza to a 13-year low, and that some countries such as Italy, Canada and the Netherlands have imposed restrictions on arms exports to Israel.
In April, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution calling on all states “to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel, to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights.”
According to customs data from a website that collates Serbian business data, Yugoimport-SDPR exported arms and ammunition worth 7.3 million euros to Israel in July, made by Israeli cargo planes, which flew from Belgrade to Nevatim airbase.
The amount adds to the previous Serbian arms exports to Israel worth 15.7 million euros, bringing the total value of Serbian arms and ammunition exports to the country in 2024 to 23.1 million euros.
BIRN and Haaretz identified three more flights to Israel in August – one on August 1 by an Israeli Air Force Boeing 707, serial number 272, from Nis to Nevatim and two more on August 20 – but these reporters were unable to identify any corresponding arms or ammunition export data.
Meanwhile, the Serbian government has yet to comment on the contents of the shipments, declaring the information “strictly confidential.”
The BIRN and Haaretz investigation said since the beginning of the war on Gaza, Israel has benefited from an unprecedented Serbian airlift to transport thousands of tons of ammunition, including shells, missiles, bombs, and interceptor missiles that Tel Aviv is using in its war against the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
The Serbian weapons constitute a small part of arms and ammunition imports to Israel, when compared to shipments sent from the United States.
The Israeli Defense Ministry said last week that since the beginning of the war, 50,000 tons of US military equipment have arrived to Israel made by 500 cargo planes and 107 cargo ships.
But the investigation showed that the Serbian arms shipments have a great moral value.
Diplomatic sources have confirmed that this cooperation is due to the desire of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to win the favor of the United States, and in return guarantees Israel's support for Serbia in international forums.
Last February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Vucic as a “true friend of Israel,” and thanked him for his “unconditional support in word and deed.”
Israel's ambassador to Serbia recently said that Tel Aviv does not recognize that a genocide against Muslims in Bosnia took place, and that it abstained from voting in favor of a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly last May to declare an international day to commemorate the Srebrenica massacre, moves that Belgrade sees as an expression of support.
Meanwhile, Britain will immediately suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel because there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, Foreign Minister David Lammy said on Monday.
Soon after the Labour Party won an election in July, Lammy said he would update a review on arms sales to Britain's ally Israel to ensure these complied with international law.
“It is with regret that I inform the House (of Commons, lower house of parliament) today the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” Lammy said.
