Should the UK impose an arms embargo on Israel?

Yesterday, a letter from 600 legal experts, including four former Supreme Court judges, was published, arguing that the UK government should impose an arms embargo on Israel, impose sanctions on individuals and entities who had ‘made statements inciting genocide against Palestinians’, and suspend negotiations on a new bilateral trade agreement with Israel. It also demanded the UK review its current trade agreement with Israel and consider the imposition of sanctions more generally.

The signatories believe an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in January, imposing what are known as ‘provisional measures’, meant that there was a ‘plausible risk of genocide in Gaza’. They also noted the UN Security Council’s resolution on 25 March demanding a ceasefire.

The letter contended that at least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and that the majority of casualties have been women and children. It also highlighted the issue of food insecurity in Gaza and the need for unhindered humanitarian assistance.