The UK government has barred Israeli officials from attending the country’s biggest arms fair over growing concern about the war in Gaza. The decision does not cover representatives of Israeli defense contractors, who will be allowed to attend the DSEI UK exhibition, scheduled for September 9-12 in London .

‘The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,’ the British government said in a statement. ‘As a result, we can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025.’

The decision comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel takes steps to end the crisis in Gaza, agrees to a ceasefire with Hamas and commits to a long-term peace agreement. Britain previously barred sales to Israel of any arms that could be used in the nearly 23-month war in Gaza. Israel’s Defense Ministry said the decision was based on politics and ‘serves extremists.’

‘These restrictions amount to a deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination against Israel’s representatives,’ the ministry said. The Israeli ministry said it would withdraw from the exhibition and will not establish a national pavilion. Pro-Palestinian and anti-war groups have announced plans to for protests during DSEI, which will take place at the Excel center in east London.

It comes as an Israeli official said on Saturday that it will soon slow or halt humanitarian aid into parts of northern Gaza as it expands its offensive attempting to cripple Hamas. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that Israel will stop airdrops over Gaza City in the coming days and reduce the arrival of aid trucks into the northern part of the strip as it prepares to evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents south. Israel on Friday declared Gaza City a combat zone, calling it a Hamas stronghold and alleging that a network of tunnels remains in use despite several previous large-scale raids on the area throughout the war.

The shift comes weeks after Israel first announced plans to widen its offensive in the city, where hundreds of thousands are sheltering while enduring famine. In recent days, the military has ramped up strikes on the city’s outskirts. The military’s announcement to resume fighting came as the death toll in Gaza rose to more than 63,000 people. 

On Saturday, four people were killed by Israeli gunfire while trying to get aid in central Gaza, according to health officials at Awda hospital, were the bodies were brought. It was unclear when the pause in aid would begin and when the airdrops would fully stop. By Saturday there had been no airdrops for several days across Gaza, a break from the almost daily drops for the past few weeks. 

Israel’s army didn’t respond to a request for comment about the airdrops or how it would provide aid to Palestinians as Israel ramped up its offensive.On Friday, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged Palestinians to flee south, calling evacuation ‘inevitable.’ Aid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation of Gaza City would exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis.