The UK will suspend some arms sales to Israel, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced.
Mr Lammy said the decision was the result of a review of UK arms export licences. A “clear risk” had been identified that these could be used to “commit serious breaches of international humanitarian law”.
Mr Lammy said around 30 of the 350 licences would be suspended, and stressed that “this is not a blanket ban or arms embargo”.
He said: “In the face of such a conflict, it is this Government’s legal duty to review UK export licences.
“I regret to inform the House today that, based on the assessment before me, I cannot reach any conclusion other than that there is a clear risk that certain UK arms exports to Israel could be used to commit serious breaches of international humanitarian law or to promote international humanitarian law.
The UK does not supply weapons directly to Israel, but issues export licences to sell weapons to UK companies.
Earlier this year, under the previous Conservative government, officials responsible for arms exports to Israel were ordered to “immediately cease operations” over concerns they could be implicated in war crimes.
Mr Lammy told the House of Commons that after raising his own concerns as an opposition figure, he launched an investigation immediately after taking office and “committed to communicating the findings of his investigation”.
He said the findings did not mean Israel had violated international humanitarian law, adding that the UK government “has not and cannot make a decision” on the issue.
“This is a forward-looking assessment and does not determine innocence or guilt. It does not prejudge future decisions by the relevant courts,” he said.
He added that the decision would be reviewed and that “the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law”.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell said he would “carefully consider” the limited embargo announced.
He said the conflict had reached a point where it could develop in two ways – either into a new “conflagration” or towards a peaceful resolution.
“The UK’s role must be to put a sustainable end to the current suffering”, he added.
“Only then can we achieve our goal of giving people the prospect of a different horizon for the future”.
According to Israeli figures, the war began when the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, taking around 250 hostages.
At least 40,691 Palestinians have been killed and 94,060 wounded in Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip, the exclave’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.