The UK's Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) said on Friday that it had informed the Metropolitan Police about individuals who are attending an international arms exhibition in London in September, and who have allegedly aided and abetted Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The campaigning group said it had submitted a criminal complaint to the War Crimes Unit at the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, as the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition is set to take place between 9 and 12 September in east London.
"These are the arms companies arming the IDF. These are the arms companies facilitating and profiting from Israel's bombing of hospitals, killing journalists and creating a man-made famine," a spokesperson for CAAT said in a statement.
"UK law is clear - these individuals should be investigated for crimes against humanity, not invited to profit from the unspeakable devastation they have caused in Gaza."
CAAT, which aims to abolish the international arms trade, mentioned that it is illegal in England and Wales to engage in “conduct ancillary” to a war crime or a crime against humanity under Section 52 (1) of the International Criminal Court Act 2001.
Following the outbreak of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, there have been widespread calls for Israeli officials and soldiers to be arrested over war crimes committed in the enclave.
Organisations such as the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network have been facilitating criminal complaints against Israeli soldiers living or visiting abroad, including army members who attended a music festival in Belgium.
The DSEI is held every two years in London to bring together companies, governments, and military officials to showcase the latest military technology.
Fifty-one Israeli companies are set to attend the DSEI, including Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace, Israel’s largest arms companies, all accused of aiding Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip through arms manufacture and sales.
Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace were named in UN expert Francesca Albanese’s report of over 60 companies allegedly involved in Israel's illegal occupation and genocidal war on Gaza.
The UK government announced in August that Israeli officials would not be invited to attend the fair over Israel’s decision "to further escalate its military operation in Gaza", a move that angered the Netanyahu government.