The violations of Israel of international law in Gaza risk “anarchy” lets go of the world, says a signatory.
The United Kingdom must impose sanctions on the Israeli government and its ministers and take measures to “prevent and punish the genocide” in Gaza, according to a letter signed by more than 800 lawyers, academics and former judges.
The open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on the British government on Monday to take concrete measures to arrest “serious violations of international law” committed by Israel.
“The genocide is perpetrated in Gaza or, at least, there is a serious risk of genocide,” said the letter, adding that war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious humanitarian law violations were also taking place.
He urged Starmer to respond quickly as “an urgent and decisive action is necessary to avoid the destruction of the Palestinian people of Gaza”. The letter cited the recent comments from the Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, who expressed Israel’s intention to “take control of the entire band (Gaza)” and to “conquer, clean and stay – until Hamas is destroyed”.
The letter, signed by high-level legal personalities, in particular former judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, noted a recent declaration of the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada according to which the suffering in Gaza was “intolerable”, welcoming the indication that governments were ready to take measures.
The letter called on the British government to comply with its fundamental fundamental legal obligations and to “use all the available means to obtain an immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire in Gaza and to ensure the resumption of urgent, unconditional and without hindrance” to the Palestinians.
To achieve this, he called on the government to impose sanctions on the ministers of the Israeli government and other civil and military personalities “reasonably suspected of involvement in illegal conduct”, and to review the existing trade links with Israel, to impose commercial sanctions and to suspend a roadmap for a closer partnership of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom suspended the negotiations of a new trade agreement with Israel last week.
“Relacable violations of international law”
The letter also called on the United Kingdom to confirm that it would respect its obligation to execute arrest mandates issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The ICC has expressed arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, while the country also faces a case of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for war crimes against civilians.
“We, in the United Kingdom, cannot expect peace unless we fulfill our obligations under international law,” said Sir Alan Moses, a former judge of the Court of Appeal who signed the letter, in a press release.
“It is a futility exercise for a government to say that it confirms the rule of law, if it does nothing to demonstrate it.”
Another signatory said that “implacable violations of Israel” have been a threat to “the very future of international law itself”.
“Imagine a world without rules: anarchy has moved away from the world,” said Conor Gearty, professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics, in a statement.
“These lawyers know what it would look like – and because they do it, they are desperate to avoid it.”
Last year, a previous open letter from British lawyers said the United Kingdom breaks international law by arming Israel.
The War of Israel against Gaza killed at least 54,056 Palestinians and injured 123,129, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The government’s media office has updated its number of deaths at more than 61,700, saying that thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.