British human rights organisations call on the government to end its “complicity” in Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip – JURIST

In a joint letter, leading British human rights organisations called on the new Labour government to take immediate action to end Britain’s complicity in what they describe as Israel’s ongoing atrocities against Palestinians. Addressed to newly appointed Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the letter calls for an end to British arms sales to Israel. It calls on the government to prioritise international law and human rights and urges Britain to “end its complicity in Israel’s war crimes”.

Legal groups such as GLAN (Global Legal Action Network) and Al-Haq, known for their expertise in international humanitarian law, are at the forefront of this demand. They have already challenged the outgoing government’s decisions in the High Court and stressed that Labour must now distance itself from its previous policies and abide by international legal norms.

The letter describes in stark terms the terrible conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza, calling their situation “hell on earth.” It stresses that the ongoing conflict, which has left over 38,000 Palestinians dead and nearly 88,000 injured, is a grave violation of human rights and could be classified as genocide. The organizations argue that this requires an immediate halt to arms sales to Israel, pointing out that continued support contradicts both moral and legal obligations under international law.

The letter follows Prime Minister Starmer’s hopeful declaration that “the sunlight of hope is shining again”, signalling an opportunity for significant change after Labour took power in the UK after 14 years of Conservative rule. The signatories argue that this has severely damaged Britain’s international credibility. The human rights organisations are seizing on this moment and claiming that the Labour government has a chance to restore Britain’s reputation by ending its support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

The call for action is supported by recent reports from northern Gaza of extensive bombings, the likes of which have been few since World War II, leading to the almost complete destruction of civilian infrastructure. Hunger and displacement are widespread, and the World Health Organization warns that “everyone in Gaza” is at risk of severe disease, starvation and death due to the dire conditions.

All this is happening in the midst of an ongoing process in which said groups filed a lawsuit in the UK High Court in December 2023, calling on the government to stop issuing licenses for arms exports to Israel. In addition, last month the UK High Court granted Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Oxfam permission to join the lawsuit to stop UK arms sales to Israel. The case is due to be heard in October 2024.