UK lawyers urge sanctions on Israel over Gaza crisis

Over 800 legal professionals in the United Kingdom including prominent judges, lawyers, and academics have signed an open letter demanding immediate sanctions against Israel and its officials due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the letter highlights what the signatories describe as Israel's grave violations of international law, including potential acts of genocide.

The signatories stress that the British government has a legal and moral obligation to act decisively to prevent the further destruction of Palestinians in Gaza. Citing recent inflammatory remarks by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the letter accuses Israel of pursuing policies that aim to dominate, cleanse, and occupy Gaza permanently until Hamas is dismantled.

Among the signatories are former justices from the UK Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. They acknowledge that leaders from the UK, France, and Canada have condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urged Britain to move beyond rhetoric to concrete measures.

Key demands include imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers and military personnel suspected of unlawful conduct, reviewing and restricting UK-Israel trade ties, and halting further diplomatic advancements with Israel. The letter calls for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid access to Gaza.

It also urges the UK to fulfill its legal obligations by enforcing arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Both face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Israel stands accused of genocide in a separate case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Sir Alan Moses, a former appellate judge and one of the signatories, stated that proclaiming support for the rule of law is meaningless without tangible actions. Other legal experts, including Conor Gearty from the London School of Economics, warned that Israel’s ongoing defiance of international norms threatens the entire global legal order.

This recent initiative follows a previous letter from UK lawyers that criticized the British government for violating international law by continuing arms sales to Israel.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 123,000 injured in the conflict. The Government Media Office places the death toll at over 61,700, with many more presumed dead under the rubble.