11 April 2025
The Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) responds to the ABC’s exclusive report revealing the export of a remote weapon system developed by a Canberra-based defence company to Israel despite the Australian government’s continued insistence that there have been no Australian defence exports to Israel since 7 October 2023.
The Australian-designed weapon was tested by the Israeli military in early 2025 as part of Israel’s trials of ‘counter-drone’ technologies. Despite the Australian government’s repeated claims that no Australian weapons have been exported to Israel since 7 October 2023, this revelation suggests Australian components were sent to Israel via third country channels, specifically the US, before being exported as a weapons system to Israel, bypassing Australian export controls and in violation of Australia’s international legal obligations, including under the Arms Trade Treaty.
This report raises serious questions regarding the claims of the Australian government and Department of Defence that no weapons or ammunition have been directly exported from Australia to Israel in recent years, and that any approved exports have been strictly for items destined to return to Australia.
In June 2024, correspondence sent on behalf of our clients, Palestinian human rights organisations, forced the Department of Defence to undertake a review of extant permits. The Department of Defence identified only 66 extant permits it has undertaken to review, and in November advised it has ‘amended or lapsed’ only 16 permits. The ACIJ has raised doubts about whether that review includes exports of parts and components sent via third country channels, including F-35 parts and components.
Executive Director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, Ms Rawan Arraf said:
“It is outrageous that despite this incontrovertible evidence of Australian arms being sent to Israel and used by the Israeli military, ready for its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the Albanese government and the Defence Department are holding fast to the falsehood that Australia has not sent any exports to Israel for the last five years. Our clients, Palestinian human rights organisations, have put the government on notice several times. These are obfuscations which have cost lives in Gaza. We see through these obfuscations, exports through third countries are a violation of Australia’s international legal obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and Australia’s defence export regulations.”
“After 18 months of a brutal military campaign, the Israeli military and weapons manufacturers are boasting about the use of new weapons and technologies, in the face of over 50,000 killed, 15,000 children. The Australian Government and Australian companies are complicit and the exports, including via third countries, must end.”
“It has been over 10 months, and the Department has still not completed its review, in what is an unacceptable delay in the shadow of a genocide. We demand greater transparency and truth about Australian defence exports.”
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For media enquiries contact the Australian Centre for International Justice at: info@acij.org.au or +61 (0)433 950 787.
