Key facts
- Over 70 British lawmakers signed a letter urging the UK to sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin.
- The lawmakers cited 'systematic and well-documented torture of Palestinian civilians' as the reason for the sanctions.
- A UN report from February found torture has become integral to Israeli actions against Palestinian men, women, and children.
- The UK Foreign Office stated that reports of mistreatment of detainees are disgraceful and have been raised with the Israeli government.
- The UN special rapporteur on Palestinian territories described the Israeli prison system as a 'laboratory of calculated cruelty'.
Dozens of British lawmakers have urged the UK government to impose sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, citing alleged systematic torture of Palestinian civilians. The letter, signed by at least 71 MPs and peers, was addressed to UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and led by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan.
The lawmakers stated that the responsibility for the "systematic and well-documented torture of Palestinian civilians lies with the government of Israel, including Prime Minister Netanyahu." They noted that previous sanctions against ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich had done little to alter Israel's approach to Palestinian detainees, and that abuses have escalated with near total impunity.
The letter referenced a UN report from February that found torture has become integral to the domination and punishment of Palestinian men, women, and children. It also highlighted Netanyahu's praise for dropping charges in a case involving the alleged rape of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli troops, and the detention of British nationals in international waters during the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office described reports of mistreatment of detainees as "disgraceful" and confirmed the issue has been raised with the Israeli government. The spokesperson emphasized that all detainees must be treated with dignity and in accordance with international law, and that any allegations of torture must be thoroughly investigated. The UK also called for unrestricted access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to all detention facilities, noting the unacceptable detention of hundreds of Palestinian children without charge for months.
In March, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, reported that the Israeli prison system has degenerated into a "laboratory of calculated cruelty." Since October 2023, over 100 Palestinian prisoners have reportedly died in Israeli custody, a figure believed to be an underestimate.