Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policy on arms exports to Israel of the International Court of Justice's order relating to the case of the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v Israel), published on 26 January 2024.

Decisions on export licensing are based on the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

The Governments export licences are kept under careful and continual review, and can amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, where they are inconsistent with these criteria.

The Government respects the role and independence of the International Court of Justice. However, the Government have stated that we have considerable concerns about this case.

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, provided this is proportionate and within the bounds of International Humanitarian Law, as we’ve said from the outset. The Government view is that Israel’s actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide, which is why South Africa’s decision to bring the case was wrong and provocative.