Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the biennial DSEI trade show that began in London’s Docklands on Tuesday. Fifty-one Israeli arms makers and the US defence firm behind the F-35 fighters used to bomb Gaza are among the 1,600 exhibitors. During the four-day arms fair the defence secretary, John Healey, is expected to speak alongside senior British military officials.
Campaign Against Arms Trade (Caat) said Israel’s three biggest arms companies – Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) – were among those planning to attend despite the UK barring an Israeli government delegation last month. It is the first time the arms fair has been held since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, and the event is expected to be intensively policed