A UK-based Arab human rights organization has filed a request urging the British government to impose sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a move believed to be the first of its kind aimed specifically at a sitting Israeli premier, Anadolu reports.
The British law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn said Tuesday it submitted the request to the Foreign Office last week on behalf of the Arab Organization for Human Rights UK, or AOHR UK, seeking targeted financial and travel sanctions against Netanyahu over alleged violations against Palestinians.
Britain last June sanctioned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The new submission, however, directly targets Netanyahu, citing his role as head of government and ultimate decision-maker.
The request argues that Netanyahu bears personal responsibility under principles of command responsibility, alleging incitement to violence and genocide against Palestinians and involvement in serious violations of international law. It includes what the organization described as extensive evidence related to Netanyahu’s conduct in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and across the occupied Palestinian territory.
AOHR UK said that despite a declared ceasefire, Palestinians continue to be unlawfully killed. Since the ceasefire took effect in October last year, Israeli attacks have killed 483 Palestinians and wounded 1,287 others, while severe restrictions remain in place on the entry of food, shelter materials and medical supplies into Gaza, where about 2.4 million people are living in dire conditions.
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“The UK has already acknowledged that senior Israeli officials have promoted serious abuses of Palestinian rights,” Mohammed Jamil of AOHR UK said. “It is no longer credible to sanction ministers while exempting the prime minister who authorizes, endorses and directs the policies in question. Accountability cannot stop short of the highest office.”
The organization cited incitement to violence and genocide against Palestinians, responsibility for unlawful military operations in Gaza, and the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank among the main grounds for the sanctions request.
AOHR UK called on members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords from all parties to publicly support the submission and press the government to act in line with its stated commitment to international law.
Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,000 wounded, most of them women and children. The United Nations estimates that about 90% of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, with reconstruction costs projected at around $70 billion.
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