“The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary must immediately endorse this decision. That is the bare minimum.”
Jeremy Corbyn
By Labour Outlook
Following the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, left parliamentarians have urged the Government to uphold their commitment to International Law and ensure that the arrest warrants are enforced.
The court found reasonable grounds that Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024”.
The ICC also found reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the “war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.” They have been charged with the crimes against humanity of murder and persecution.
Richard Burgon MP and Imran Hussain MP, who this year visited the International Criminal Court to deliver a dossier of evidence of Israeli war crimes to the Prosecutor’s team, were among those calling for the Government to ensure that they comply with the arrest warrants.
The evidence they submitted was produced from a series of panels organised in Parliament, with evidence given by leading human rights groups, legal experts, a body for journalists, a UK humanitarian organisation with a presence on the ground in Gaza and a British medic volunteering in Gaza.
Responding to the ruling, Richard Burgon called on the Government to “now impose sanctions on Israel to stop more war crimes.”
I welcome the arrest warrants against Israeli PM Netanyahu & his former Defence Minister.
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) November 21, 2024
Their barbaric crimes are clear for all to see.
Our Government must commit to enforcing these arrest warrants.
And Governments must now impose sanctions on Israel to stop more war crimes.
With Imran Hussain MP also urging the Government to “comply with the arrest warrants and impose sanctions on Israel immediately.”
I welcome the ICC's long-awaited decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
— Imran Hussain MP (@Imran_HussainMP) November 21, 2024
We have seen the horrific consequences of their crimes, now it is time to act.
The UK Government must comply with the arrest warrants, and impose sanctions on Israel immediately.
While the UK Government released a statement claiming that they respect the independence of the ICC, they are yet to state whether they would uphold their obligations or end weapons exports to Israel.
Pressure will surely be mounting on the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary from inside and outside of Parliament. Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn called for the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to immediately endorse the decision as a bare minimum.
The ICC’s arrest warrants are long overdue.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 21, 2024
The Prime Minister & Foreign Secretary must immediately endorse this decision. That is the bare minimum.
Will the UK government now, finally, honour its international obligations to prevent genocide and end all arms sales to Israel?
Jeremy Corbyn and the rest of the Independent Alliance of MPs have also penned a joint letter to Keir Starmer, directly asking if he will comply with the ruling. The letter includes a demand for the PM to lay out how the Government will assist the ICC in enforcing this decision.
Following the ICC's arrest warrants, the Independent Alliance have written to the Prime Minister asking if he will comply with the ruling.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 21, 2024
The UK government must decide: is it on the side of Israeli impunity or international law? pic.twitter.com/TRcOs29vx8
Zarah Sultana MP was also among the Parliamentarians responding to the ruling, stating that “the UK government must comply with the ICC, end all arms sales, impose economic sanctions and suspend its trade deal with Israel.”
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu & Gallant for war crimes & crimes against humanity.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) November 21, 2024
The UK government must comply with the ICC, end all arms sales, impose economic sanctions & suspend its trade deal with Israel.
Nothing less will do.
It is hard to see how the UK Government can continue to claim they respect the International Court’s decision while refusing to comply with the ruling, as the calls for a suspension on arms sales continue to grow.
Last week, after the Government was taken to the High Court by the Global Legal Action Network and Palestinian human rights organisation Al Haq, where it was revealed that components of F-35 fighter jets were made exempt from the Government’s suspensions of arms sales to Israel to reassure the US. This is despite a “clear risk” that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
It’s clear that the mass Palestine movement will continue to mobilise and place demands on the Government for an immediate ban on arms sales and for a commitment that the Government will act on the arrest warrants.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign released a statement stating that “this announcement places Britain in the grotesque position of continuing to sell weapons and provide diplomatic support to a state which is not only on trial for genocide but is led by a man who from today is a fugitive from international justice.”
PSC Statement: The UK government must act on the ICC's arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant and #StopArmingIsrael.
— Palestine Solidarity Campaign (@PSCupdates) November 21, 2024
Read here: https://t.co/mdPxmPzcLt pic.twitter.com/H8NVotdaKr
- You can read the Palestine Solidarity Campaign statement in response to the ICC ruling here.
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