News- Middle East: Britain is reportedly poised to sign a £2 billion ($2.69 billion) contract with Israel's largest arms manufacturer that would enable it to train 60,000 British soldiers annually, according to a report from Private Eye magazine.

The publication revealed that Elbit Systems UK, the British arm of the company, is close to securing a major contract that would establish it as a "strategic partner" of Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MoD).

If awarded the contract, Elbit would collaborate with the MoD to transform military training through digitalization, simulation, enhanced industry relationships, and changes in training locations and methodologies.

Private Eye also inquired whether it would be appropriate to grant such a significant contract to a company deeply involved in the war in the besieged Gaza Strip, but the MoD did not respond.

Elbit is reportedly competing against Raytheon for the Army Collective Training Service contract, after the MoD narrowed down the bidders to two in February.

This development follows the recent announcement that Elbit signed a $1.63 billion arms deal with Serbia to supply long-range precision rockets along with other military technologies.

Elbit Systems supplies approximately 85 percent of Israel’s drones and land-based military equipment and has been a key supplier of weaponry in Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.

A report by Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, stated that “for Israeli companies such as Elbit Systems… the ongoing genocide has been a profitable venture.”

Since 2023, Elbit's UK arm has been responsible for the MoD's Project Vulcan, a £57 million contract for simulation-based training for tank crews.

Last September, the British government suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel after a review indicated a clear risk that British-made weapons could be used in violation of international humanitarian law. Notably, licenses for components used in F-35 fighter jets, which are actively deployed in Gaza, were among those exempted from the embargo.

Elbit’s subsidiaries in the UK have frequently faced protests and direct action from activists. Protesters have consistently targeted its headquarters, dousing them in red paint to symbolize Palestinian blood.

In a related development, over 700 UK business leaders, founders, and professionals have signed a letter urging the British government to take action against further acts of genocide by Israel in Gaza.

The open letter, initiated in June by Business Leaders for Peace, calls for a complete arms embargo on Israel and targeted sanctions against individuals and entities "credibly accused of violating international law."

According to Gaza medical sources, the Israeli aggression, which began in October 2023, has killed nearly 62,200 people and wounded over 157,000 others.

Source: Press TV