Human rights groups are pushing for a court order that could halt UK arms exports to Israel after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Palestinian human rights group, Al-Haq, and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (Glan) say the UK is “arming suspected war criminals,” citing alleged findings of the International Criminal Court in Gaza, including starvation and blocking medical supplies.

ICC Allegations Highlight War Crimes

The pre-trial panel found reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant deliberately starved civilians in Gaza for more than eight months and impeded medical aid, forcing doctors to conduct surgical procedures without adequate supplies, including amputating children’s limbs without anesthesia. The warrants have heightened closer scrutiny over arms exports to Israel, with rights groups saying British-made components for F-35 fighter jets are being used to commit international crimes.

The ICC arrest warrants add to piling evidence that British weapons are enabling genocide and other crimes against Palestinians, declared Al-Haq spokesperson Zainah el-Haroun, calling for an immediate two-way arms embargo on Israel. “The ICC arrest warrants add to insurmountable evidence that British weapons are enabling genocide and other crimes against Palestinians,” she stated.

Deadline for Legal Action

Al-Haq and Glan have urged the UK government to halt the exporting of F-35 parts before Friday afternoon at 4 pm, or else they will go to court for an injunction. A lawyer from Glan has called out the UK’s “unconscionable” continued arms sales to Israel. She believes that the government must set “red lines” about the use of British-made weaponry.

The Department for Business and Trade declined to comment due to ongoing litigation, while Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer said that the suspension of 30 arms export licenses to Israel announced in September remains under review. Falconer assured MPs that the ICC findings would be considered as part of this assessment.

Calls for Urgent Judicial Action

Glan and Al-Haq are pressing for the emergency injunction to be dealt with as soon as possible to address what they call an “extermination campaign” against Palestinians. The timeline for when a judicial decision will come is unclear, but the groups stress urgency in halting arms exports because of findings from the ICC.

It is against this backdrop that the UK government will face tough questions from rights organizations on its role in arms sales when allegations of war crimes against it surface internationally. The case is precedent-setting on the accountability of the UK to the global arms trade and its adherence to international law.