Yesterday, Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Al-Haq, informed the government of their intention to file for ‘interim relief’ or an emergency injunction with the UK High Court over their failure to revoke all arms export licences and crucially over 'material errors of law'.

This comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Ibrahim Al-Masri. The court said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza".

The deadline for the government to reply is Friday 29 November at 4pm, after which time the legal action proceeds. This follows the pre-action protocol as required by judicial review process.

Rights groups have also warned UK ministers of their risk of criminal liability for failing to halt weapons to Israel. The case against the government continues.

Lawyer with GLAN, Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe said, “It is unconscionable that the UK continues to allow British-made components for F-35s to be used in Israel’s extermination campaign against Palestinians. As of Thursday, the UK is now arming suspected war criminals who have been indicted by the world’s pre-eminent criminal court. For 13 months, GLAN and Al Haq have argued that weapons sales to Israel are unlawful. When will it be enough? Does the UK Government have any red lines?”

Al-Haq spokesperson, Zainah El-Haroun said, “The latest arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Gallant for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity add to the insurmountable evidence that British weapons, particularly F-35 components, are being used to commit international crimes, including genocide. A two-way arms embargo on Israel should be implemented immediately, to prevent British arms being used by indicted war criminals for further serious violations against Palestinians.”

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More about the existing challenge to UK arms exports licences:  Israel Weapons Sales | glanlaw 

Al-Haq is an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights organisation based in Ramallah, West Bank. It was established in 1979 to protect and promote human rights and the rule of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the organisation has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Al-Haq documents violations of the individual and collective rights of Palestinians in the OPT and in doing so it conducts research; prepares reports, studies and interventions on breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law in the OPT; and undertakes advocacy before local, regional and international bodies. For its work protecting and promoting human rights, Al-Haq has been awarded numerous international awards. alhaq.org   Contact: [email protected]

Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) is a U.K.-based legal non-profit organisation with offices in the U.K. and Ireland. GLAN works with affected communities to pursue innovative legal actions across borders to challenge powerful actors involved in human rights violations and systemic injustice.  glanlaw.org Contact:  [email protected]