Over 800 lawyers: UK failing to prevent Gaza genocide

“Genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza or, at a minimum, there is a serious risk of genocide occurring,” said more than 800 UK-based judges, lawyers, and legal academics in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Accompanied by a 35-page legal memorandum, the open letter accuses the British government of failing to meet its binding international obligations to prevent and punish genocide and calls for the UK to consider initiating proceedings for Israel’s suspension from the UN.

The signatories, including retired senior judges, cite the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 ruling, which found Israel in breach of peremptory norms of international law for denying Palestinians their right to self-determination and for its unlawful annexation of territory acquired by force. Detailing Israel’s actions since then, including mass forced displacement, settlement expansion, and military operations targeting civilians, the letter underscores that “serious violations of international law are being committed and further threatened.”

The letter lays out the legal foundation for its grave conclusion, referencing Israel’s ongoing blockade and targeting of civilians, attacks on aid workers and hospitals, and statements by senior Israeli officials vowing to “cleanse” Gaza. It concludes that these acts collectively constitute evidence of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing.

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Under international law, all states, including the UK, are obliged to take proactive measures to prevent and punish genocide. “The UK’s actions to date have failed to meet those standards,” the letter states, warning that ongoing complicity undermines international legal norms.

The letter calls on the UK government to take immediate and decisive measures in line with its legal obligations. Foremost among these is the urgent demand for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, to halt what the signatories describe as a humanitarian and legal catastrophe. They urge the UK to ensure the full resumption of humanitarian aid, including the lifting of Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), so that relief can reach a population facing starvation and siege.

The signatories also press for the imposition of financial and immigration sanctions on Israeli ministers and other civil and military personnel suspected of involvement in unlawful acts. In addition, they demand that the UK suspend the 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel cooperation and implement trade sanctions, in response to Israel’s continued violations of international law.

Finally, the letter insists that the UK must unequivocally commit to executing arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) relating to crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, affirming that respect for international legal institutions is non-negotiable.

Calling the UK’s current response inadequate, the signatories urge Starmer’s government to act on its public commitment to uphold the rule of law. The legal memorandum argues that the UK, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, must consider initiating procedures for Israel’s suspension from the UN General Assembly under Article 5 of the UN Charter due to its persistent violations of the Charter’s fundamental principles.

“The level of human suffering in Gaza is ‘intolerable’,” the letter notes, echoing a recent joint statement by the UK, France and Canada. It urges the British government to act without delay in accordance with its “fundamental international legal obligations” and its “stated central objective of upholding the rule of law.” The signatories stress that what is required now is “clear, principled, and prompt action,” warning that continued inaction risks further eroding the UK’s credibility as a defender of international law and justice.

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