The petition, initiated by the UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign, references the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including British citizens, in Israeli air strikes in Gaza in April 2024.

The petition accuses Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, as acknowledged by the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

The text discusses the UK's potential halt of arms exports to Israel due to concerns over human rights violations and international law.

This decision comes after a two-week siege on Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, which resulted in over 400 Palestinian deaths and significant damage to the hospital complex.

The UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria prohibits arms exports if there is a risk they might be used for internal repression or a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that there is a plausible case of genocide against Palestinians, and the UK government has received legal advice suggesting Israel is breaking international humanitarian law.

As a result, the petition calls for an immediate halt to arms transfers to Israel.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in January that Israel's actions could potentially constitute genocide, marking a significant step towards potential sanctions.

The petition urged all states to suspend arms exports to Israel in accordance with the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention.

The UK is being criticized for continuing to export arms to Israel despite this advice, putting itself at legal risk and distancing itself from key international partners like Canada, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy who have suspended their exports.

The UK Foreign Office has reportedly received legal advice that Israel has violated international humanitarian law, but the government has not made an announcement on the matter.

On Monday in the UK parliament, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to deny that the Foreign Office received advice regarding Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law.

Labour Party MP Zarah Sultana asked Sunak if a statement made by a pro-Palestinian activist, Kearns, was true.

Sunak responded by stating that Israel is committed to and capable of complying with international humanitarian law.

Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, criticized the UK for arming Israel, stating that it makes the UK complicit in violating international law and potentially sparking a regional war.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its assault on Gaza in October.

The text reports on the dire situation in Gaza, where 70% of the population are women and children, and the UN warns of an imminent famine due to the destruction of civil infrastructure.

Israel's use of British weaponry, surveillance technology, and military equipment in attacks on Palestinians has been criticized by the pro-Palestinian NGO Friends of Al-Aqsa, which claims that 15% of components used in Israel's F-35 aircraft come from the UK.

The group accuses Israel of using these weapons in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Over 1,000 lawyers, academics, and retired judges, including a former President of the Supreme Court, have signed an open letter urging the UK to stop supplying arms to Israel, as it puts the UK in breach of international law.

A group of 134 UK lawmakers, led by Sultana, wrote to Prime Minister Cameron and Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch on March 27, urging them to suspend arms export licenses to Israel due to the "overwhelming case" against it.

This request came after Cameron stated that the UK would not halt arms sales to Israel, despite several other countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, and Belgium doing so.

The PSC, the organization leading the group, announced plans for a "Stop Arming Israel" rally outside parliament on Wednesday at 6 p.m.