THE UK Government has shown a “disregard for its legal obligations to prevent genocide” in the 12 months since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Israel, a leading charity has said.
In a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the ICJ saying that Palestinians’ right to be protected from genocide faced a “plausible” risk from Israel, Amnesty International said the UK Government had “contributed to Israel’s impunity and risked British complicity in serious crimes against international law”.
The charity called on the Labour administration to “take urgent and meaningful steps to prevent Israel’s genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza, as it is obligated to do as a state party to the Genocide Convention”.
In December, Amnesty International published a 296-page report which concluded that Israel “committed and is committing genocide” in Gaza.
However, the UK Government has declined to use the term – with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he does not believe the attacks on Gaza amounted to genocide and Foreign Secretary David Lammy suggesting not enough people have died for it to count.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said: “The UK Government should have taken heed of this extremely significant ICJ ruling the day it was announced. UK inaction and disregard for its international obligations to prevent genocide contributed to Israel’s impunity and risked British complicity in serious crimes against international law.
“The genocide against the Palestinian people is a matter of law and evidence, not opinion. Prime Minister Keir Starmer must accept the UK’s obligations to prevent Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and help ensure there is justice and accountability.
“To avoid the risk of itself being complicit in genocide, the UK should have ended all arms transfers to Israel long ago and committed full support to the ICJ and other important international accountability mechanisms. The UK should take those steps urgently now.”
The UK Government suspended around 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel in September amid concerns that the weapons would be used to breach international humanitarian law.
Netanyahu is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court to face trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
Deshmukh said: “The staggering number of Palestinian civilians killed, the colossal scale of physical destruction, the blocking of life-saving aid before the ceasefire, and the stream of dehumanising and racist anti-Palestinian rhetoric from Israeli officials, provide the clear evidential basis for genocidal intent, as defined by law, in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“The UK Government must fulfil its duties to stop genocidal acts even when committed by an ally and show clearly that it is UK policy that Palestinian lives matter as much as any other human life.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the ICJ.
“It is the UK Government’s long-standing position that any determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, and not for governments or non-judicial bodies.
“The UK has continually pressed for a resolution to the conflict in Gaza, to secure a ceasefire and see the return of hostages. We welcome the announcement of an agreement to end the fighting in Gaza. We are clear that we now need a surge of aid into Gaza, and we have called on Israel, the UN and all partners to facilitate that."
