Oxfam welcomes court’s decision to approve intervention in judicial review of UK arms sales to Israel

“We welcome the court’s decision to approve Oxfam’s intervention in this extremely important case. By continuing to license arms sales to Israel, the UK government is failing to fulfil its moral responsibilities to bring about a peaceful end to this devastating conflict. We also believe it is failing to meet its domestic and international legal obligations to ensure that UK arms are not sold if there is a clear risk of violations of International Humanitarian Law.

“As an agency working on the ground in Gaza, we’ve witnessed first-hand the devastation the Israeli military has caused to families in Gaza and to vital infrastructures. Oxfam has been systematically prevented from getting life-saving aid into the enclave, and our staff and partners face a constant threat to their lives while trying to sustain basic humanitarian operations.

“We strongly urge the Government to suspend all arms licenses to Israel immediately and, instead, use all the diplomatic leverage it has to push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, to end the death and destruction and ensure the safe release of hostages.”

Carolin Ott, Solicitor from Leigh Day, the law firm representing Oxfam pro bono on the case, said:

“Our client through its work across the world routinely bears witness to extreme suffering and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law but considers the suffering and violations it has been seeing in Gaza to be extraordinary.

“It is essential to Oxfam to highlight what it is witnessing through this important case and our client is pleased to have been given permission to intervene and to have the opportunity to present its evidence and legal submissions.”

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Read more about Oxfam’s intervention into the judicial review here: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media/press-releases/oxfam-seeks-to-intervene-in-judicial-review-of-uk-arms-sales-to-israel/