Amnesty flags India arms sale to Israel

The Britain-based rights group on Thursday documented how India has "forged a close and profitable partnership with the Israeli defence sector and has become a significant contributor to the supply chains that support Israel's military operations".

Indian state-owned and private entities transferred at least 2,596 military shipments to Israel between October 2023 and November 2025, actively fueling the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a comprehensive report by Amnesty International revealed.

The investigative report, titled "Made in India: The Supply of Weapons and Ammunition to Israel," exposes how Indian defense manufacturers, including state-operated firms, supplied vast quantities of arms, ammunition, and military hardware directly to key suppliers of the Israeli military.

According to trade data verified using standard Harmonized System (HS) customs codes, the shipments comprised at least 564,970 explosive ordnance parts—including 155 mm high-explosive artillery shells, drone warheads, and artillery casings—alongside 390,516 military-grade small arms components and 298 military vehicle parts.

Amnesty noted that the items transferred included explosive warheads for SkyStriker "kamikaze" drones—similar to those found in the debris of Khan Younis—as well as machine-gun parts deployed by Israeli ground forces in Gaza.

The human rights watchdog emphasized that its findings rely on a "deliberately conservative methodology" that excluded dual-use items, anti-missile defense equipment, and unverified product numbers. Consequently, the true extent of India's contribution to Israel's defense apparatus is likely significantly higher.

"Our research reveals India's continuing support to the Israeli military and defense sector despite the genocide in Gaza, which has been broadcast worldwide on an almost daily basis," said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"In light of the International Court of Justice's provisional measures orders recognizing a plausible risk of genocide against Palestinians, Indian authorities cannot credibly argue they were unaware that continuing to authorize arms transfers carries a substantial risk of contributing to serious violations of international law," Callamard added.

The report identifies major Israeli arms companies—including Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems—as recipients of Indian exports. The defense trade operates alongside joint ventures between Indian conglomerates, such as Adani Defence & Aerospace, and Israeli firms.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, previously warned that India's continued arms trade with Israel contributes to international law violations and could amount to "complicity in international crimes."

Despite growing international scrutiny and civil society petitions to halt exports, Indian officials have consistently defended the arms transfers. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar previously maintained that arms exports are guided by New Delhi's "national interest" and strong security ties with Tel Aviv.

Furthermore, India's Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking an embargo in September 2024, ruling foreign policy decisions fall strictly under executive domain.

Amnesty International has called on the Indian government to impose an immediate arms embargo, halt all transfers of weapons and dual-use components to Israel, and terminate corporate relationships with firms enabling international crimes.