Hundreds of lawyers ask for British sanctions against Israel during Gaza war

Hundreds of lawyers have called on the British government to use “all available resources” to stop fighting in Gaza, including the revision of trade tires with Israel and the imposition of sanctions and travel prohibitions to Israeli ministers.

About 828 Legal experts established or qualified in the UK, including the former judges of the Supreme Court, signed a letter To Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday.

They warned: “Genocide is committed in Gaza” by Israel’s blockade of food and help and his new military offensive, which killed hundreds of Palestinians there in the past fourteen days.

Israel has greatly refused the accusations of genocideClaims that are also being investigated by the International Court of Justice.

The letter from the lawyers comes in the midst of a wave of increased criticism from the Western allies of Israel, convicting his latest military offensive, who started in mid -May, and the impact of the blockade. The blockade was fully in force from 2 March 11 weeks.

Last week, The UK, France and Canada have issued a joint explanation Condemning the “gross” expansion of Israel of military operations in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the British, French and Canadian leaders of “Sliding with Hamas”say that the offensive is aimed at freeing the remaining 58 hostages held by the group.

But British Foreign Minister David Lammy called the escalation “morally not justified”. The United Kingdom suspended the trade agreement last week, called up the Israel’s ambassador and imposed new sanctions on settlers in the West Bank.

Netanyahu has declared Israel’s intention to take over the Gaza Strip and to move residents from the north to the south.

In the first week, the operation killed around 100 Gazans in strikes, according to Hamas running by Hamas and Hamas health minister.

On Monday, the group of legal experts said in a detailed letter of 36 pages that the offensive of Israel was “a serious violation” of international law and also violated the legal law of the Palestinian people on self -determination.

The group of lawyers, legal experts and retired judges expressed their “deep concern about the deteriorating catastrophe” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank where violations of international law “were committed and further threatened” by Israel.

“First of all, genocide is committed in Gaza or, at least, there is a serious risk that genocide takes place,” the legal experts wrote.

They said this had been caused by the blockade of Israel – And the radius of help now allowed was “seriously insufficient”.

They said that the UK and all countries were legally obliged to “prevent and punish genocide”.

“The actions of the UK have not achieved those standards,” they said, but they welcomed the “indication” of stronger action in last week’s statement.

The UK must immediately impose financial and immigration sanctions on Israeli ministers suspected of “illegal behavior”, to help secure a ceasefire -the lawyers wrote.

The letter also called on the UK to revise existing trade tires with Israel, to impose trade sanctions on the country and also to suspend the “2030 Route Card” of the UK with Israel – an agreement between the VK and Israel on Defense, Technology and Science, Culture, Art and other areas.

They called on the government to ensure that it would adhere to its obligations as a member of the International Criminal Court to act on the court’s arrest. Netanyahu is currently being sought by the court for alleged war crimes in Gaza and infringements of international law, accusations that he emphatically denies.

The letter was the last of the group since the war began in October 2023. The first missionary was published for weeks in the conflict, where it was concerned about the British government that sold weapons to Israel.

The legality of the UK decisions with regard to arms sales are now being investigated by the High Court of England and Wales.

Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross -border attack on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were held hostage.

Since then, at least 54,056 people have been killed in Gaza, including 3,901 since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18 after a two-month cease-fire, according to the Hamas-based health minister of the territory.

On Tuesday, Germany and Finland also expressed themselves and said that Israel should immediately allow humanitarian aid in Gaza.

“We have to put Israel pressure to ensure that the help really reaches its goal,” the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters next to the Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Finland.

“But it is also crucial that Hamas cannot prevent humanitarian aid from gaining.”

Merz, who has strongly criticized in recent days, said that events in Gaza were “in no way acceptable”. He described the effect on Gazan citizens as “excessive” and called to an end to murders and suffering.

“This is a terrible human catastrophe and we must be able to tackle it,” Orpo added.

Sweden also called on the Israeli ambassador in his Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday and called on the country to “immediately ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza”.

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Israel had the right to defend itself, but “the current way in which the war is waged is unacceptable”.