LONDON

Dozens of British mosques and Muslim organizations signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, welcoming the suspension of UK-Israel trade talks while calling for urgent and stronger action on Palestine.

The letter on Thursday follows Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s announcement on Tuesday that the UK is suspending free trade agreement negotiations with Israel and summoning the Israeli ambassador.

Faith leaders and institutions, including the London Central Mosque Trust, the Islamic Academy of Manchester, and the Association of Muslim Scholars in Great Britain, said they “welcome the move, while warning it does not go far enough.”

“For over eighteen months, we have witnessed harrowing scenes of intolerable human suffering and destruction in Gaza,” the letter states.

“It is abundantly clear, that contrary to international humanitarian law, Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war against a defenseless civilian population.”

The signatories criticized what they describe as a “morally inexcusable failure” to deliver sufficient aid into Gaza, warning of “inhumane, agonizing and preventable deaths” among thousands of malnourished children.

They urged the government to take substantive action on four key points: reinstating a ceasefire, ending the blockade of Gaza, recognizing the state of Palestine, and halting arms sales to parties violating international law.

“We are profoundly concerned by the UK government’s failure to act determinedly,” the statement reads, accusing the government of not adopting “a consistent, firm and principled stance” against war crimes and “collective punishment.”

The letter continues: “The application of international law cannot be selective. Human rights, non-discrimination, and anti-racism must be universal… A future of warfare, void of legal and ethical responsibilities, sets a dangerous precedent.”

Calling for action rooted in “justice, accountability and sustained diplomatic engagement,” the groups expressed hope that the government “will act on these most urgent concerns.”

“We must commit to a peace process grounded in justice, equality, and international law,” the letter concluded.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 53,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children.​​​​​​​

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.