UK Government Arms Exports
Legal Case against UK government
Throughout Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has been actively campaigning for the immediate and total suspension of arms sales to Israel. Since 6th December 2023, ICJP has been formally supporting Global Legal Action Network and Al Haq’s legal case against the Department for Business and Trade, challenging numerous decisions taken which have maintained approval of export licenses UK-made weapons potentially being used by Israel in Gaza.
The case will be heard in the High Court of Justice in November 2024, rescheduled from an October hearing date in order to incorporate a review of the September decision to suspend less than 10% of arms exports to Israel.
The challenge claims that the decisions to continue arms export licenses is irrational. Under international and domestic law, the United Kingdom is obligated to halt the transfer of military equipment and technology where there is a risk of facilitating breaches of such laws. This binding obligation is outlined in Articles 6 and 7 of the International Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and criteria one and two of the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC).
ICJP’s position on arms sales have been consistent, made clear in public statements on 8th December 2023, 28th February 2024, 3rd April 2024, 19th July 2024, and the 10th August 2024, calling for an immediate and total ban on arms sales.
ICJP Evidence and ‘Justice for Gaza’
Under its ‘Justice for Gaza’ campaign, ICJP has coordinated the gathering of evidence and testimonies from eyewitnesses to, and victims of, war crimes committed in Gaza. Additionally, ICJP supported a group of 30 UK-based medical professionals to pen an open letter to the Prime Minister, who have borne witness to these crimes, to demand a ban on arms sales to Israel and citing the humanitarian impact of UK-made weapons in Gaza.
Arms Sales Advocacy towards new UK government
A new government was elected in the UK on July 4th, 2024. To promote engagement with international and domestic legal frameworks when determining arms exports to Israel, ICJP wrote to six government departments to highlight its policy programme. This included letters to the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office, to specifically call for a total and immediate end to arms sales. On the 23rd of August, in light of Labour’s first 50 days in office, ICJP released a joint statement with other NGOs calling for the immediate suspension of all export licenses for arms transfers.
On the 2nd of September, the government announced the decision to suspend 30 out of 350 export licenses. The remaining 91.45% of export licenses, including parts for F-35 multi-role fighter jets, remain unaffected – despite continuous warnings that such equipment is at risk of violating International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Therefore, ICJP continues to advocate for a total, two-way arms embargo on Israel.
Institutional Complicity in Arming Israel
As well as directly pressuring the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel, ICJP has also pursued other avenues to create change on arms sales. This campaign correlated closely with ICJP’s campaign for universities to divest from investments in arms companies, including the successful campaign against Trinity College Cambridge.
In June 2024, ICJP also informed directors of arms companies that they faced potential criminal liability for atrocity crimes. This action, taken alongside coalition partners including War on Want, Campaign Against Arms Trade and Global Legal Action Network, was sent to directors of twenty arms companies in the UK.
ICJP will continue to work towards a complete cessation of arms exports to Israel.