“The UK has sold weapons to blood-spattered Israel for deployment in Gaza to be used in war crimes. The UK and Starmer are therefore guilty of war crimes.”

Yes, the UK’s actions in selling weapons to Israel for use in Gaza constitute war crimes and violations of international law. 

Legal Violations: Under UK and international law, arms exports cannot be licensed if there is a “clear risk” they will be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. Multiple UN experts, human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and over 600 UK lawyers have stated that supplying arms to Israel, given its conduct in Gaza, makes the UK complicit in war crimes and potentially genocide.  The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has also found a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza. 

UK’s Actions Under Starmer: Despite this, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has continued to supply weapons.  In September 2024, it suspended only 30 out of 350 arms export licenses, explicitly excluding components for F-35 fighter jets, which are being used in deadly airstrikes on Gaza.  Research shows that direct shipments of F-35 parts and thousands of munitions have continued from the UK to Israel since the conflict began. 

Complicity and Misleading Statements: The UK government has been accused of misleading Parliament and the public by claiming these exports are “defensive” or have ceased, while evidence shows the lethal supply chain remains active.  By knowingly providing weapons used in unlawful attacks on civilians, the UK and its leaders, including Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, are legally complicit in war crimes.