AMNESTY: “As a state party to the Genocide Convention, the UK has a legal obligation to use all reasonable means to help prevent genocide. To avoid the risk of itself being complicit in genocide, the UK must immediately end all arms transfers to Israel.”
Amnesty International has called on the UK government to cease all arms exports to Israel, citing obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent further atrocities in Gaza.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, emphasised the UK’s moral and legal responsibility to act decisively against alleged genocidal acts.
“As a state party to the Genocide Convention, the UK has a legal obligation to use all reasonable means to help prevent genocide,” Deshmukh said. “To avoid the risk of itself being complicit in genocide, the UK must immediately end all arms transfers to Israel.”
Amnesty International’s recently released report, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza,” accuses Israel of actions aimed at destroying the Palestinian population in Gaza. The organisation documented evidence of systematic aerial bombings, forced displacement, and life-threatening blockade conditions.
Amnesty also pointed to public statements by senior Israeli officials, alleging that some explicitly justified or encouraged actions amounting to genocide. The report called on nations supplying arms to Israel—such as the US, Germany, and the UK—to suspend all weapons transfers immediately.
Call for International Justice
The report demanded global action, urging the UK and other states to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity. It specifically highlighted ICC arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
“The UK government must press Israel into fully implementing the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice,” Deshmukh added, stressing the need for targeted sanctions against both Israeli and Hamas officials implicated in violations of international law.
Broader Context
Amnesty’s findings follow the aftermath of Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 223 individuals. While condemning Hamas’s actions, Amnesty focused its report on what it describes as a disproportionately severe Israeli response, resulting in more than 42,000 Palestinian deaths, including 13,300 children, and widespread displacement affecting 90% of Gaza’s population.
Urgency of Action
Amnesty warned that continued arms transfers could make the UK complicit in violations of international law. Deshmukh concluded:
“The UK must act to ensure justice and accountability, supporting the ICC investigation into Palestine and executing any arrest warrants.”
As the crisis intensifies, pressure mounts on the UK government to review its arms policies and take a stronger stance in addressing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
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