FOREIGN Secretary David Cameron approved continuing arms exports to Israel just two days after the country’s military killed three British aid workers, court documents have revealed.
The news comes after the High Court reversed a previous dismissal of a case against the exports brought by the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Al-Haq human rights organisation, which is based in the Palestinian West Bank.
At an appeal hearing on Tuesday, the two groups were granted a full judicial review hearing challenging the UK Government's failure to halt weapons exports to Israel, which is set for October.
The groups say exported weapons and parts risk being used in violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
READ MORE: As Israel arms sales continue, does the UK have weapons embargoes on other nations?
According to the UK Government’s export licencing criteria, Tory ministers must block arms sales if there is “a clear risk” that weapons might be used to commit or facilitate “internal repression” or “a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.
At the High Court hearing on Tuesday, the Tory government’s lawyers did not argue that the case against arms exports is inarguable, instead saying that the court hasn’t seen all the relevant documents and that they can only be shared in closed, secret proceedings due to national security.
In a press release, GLAN said: “This indicates the Government’s intent to rely heavily on Israeli assurances whilst evading public accountability and scrutiny of its actions as neither Al-Haq nor their lawyers will be able to see the evidence presented in those proceedings.
“Despite the dire humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza where the horrifying death toll only continues to rise as a result of aerial bombardment, ground forces and restrictions on aid, the hearing has been expedited and is expected for early October.”
Elsewhere at the High Court hearing, newly released documents showed that Foreign Secretary Cameron (above) gave the green light to weapons exports to Israel just two days after the country’s military killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen, three of whom were UK citizens.
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch then agreed with Cameron and also gave the green light on April 8, one week after the World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers were killed by the Israeli military.
Tory ministers have not received legal advice explicitly on the WCK strikes, it is understood, but the incident will be covered in the next briefing on more recent events.
After the strikes on aid workers, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians said: “Israeli media has reported that these strikes were conducted using an Elbit Systems Hermes 450 drone.
“UK Ministers have previously admitted that Hermes 450 drones may well have British-made engines – raising the potential that UK-made components were used in the killing of these three British nationals.”
Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer with GLAN, said: “The world has watched as 34,000 people have been killed [in Gaza], and more are being killed every day. Over the weekend, a single strike in Rafah killed 17 children.
“The case for urgency has never been clearer. Yet, for the duration of this litigation, the Government has used every delaying tactic at its disposal.
“Now, the Government has asked for a hearing in December. It is shameful. Has the Government no regard for the immense loss of human life thus far, some of whom will have been killed with British weapons?
“How many more mothers, fathers, daughters and sons will have died by December?”
Gearóid Ó Cuinn, the director of GLAN, said: “The facts and the international legal consensus is clear, arms exports need to end now.
“The decision of the Foreign Secretary is tardy and flies in the face of the assessment of all leading legal experts, the International Court of Justice and UN experts. The Government should suspend export licences immediately.”
The UK Government has declined to comment on the case.
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