Retired judges, bureaucrats and other eminent personalities have written to defence minister Rajnath Singh seeking the cancellation of licences to companies supplying arms to Israel amid the Gaza war, saying it is a serious violation of India’s obligations under international law.

“We are writing to you as concerned citizens, alarmed at the continued grant of export licences and permissions to various Indian companies, for the supply of military arms and munitions to Israel, since the war on Gaza began,” the letter said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the letter mentioned, has ruled that Israel has violated obligations under the Genocide Convention and was in illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

“In light of these rulings, any supply of military material to Israel would amount to a violation of India’s obligations under international humanitarian law and the mandate of Article 21 read with Article 51 (c) of the Constitution of India. We urge you, therefore, to cancel the concerned export licences and halt the granting of any new licences to companies supplying military equipment to Israel,” the letter said.

So far, India has neither confirmed nor denied supplying weapons to Israel.

Pointing out reports and information available in the public domain, the letter said at least three companies in India had been granted licences to export arms and military equipment to Israel during the ongoing war and after the ICJ rulings.

“These licences have been obtained from either the Directorate General of Foreign Trade or the Department of Defence Production that authorise export of arms and munitions for military use and dual use purposes,” the letter said. “Having voted in favour of a UN resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in December 2023, India’s abstention from voting on a resolution calling for ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel in April 2024, raises serious questions regarding India’s possible complicity in aiding the war despite the ICJ ruling on genocide.”

The letter also highlighted that the grant of licences “constitutes a serious violation of India’s obligations under international law and our own Constitution”.

“International law aside, we consider such exports to be morally objectionable, indeed abominable. We demand, therefore, that India should immediately suspend its collaboration in the delivery of military material to Israel. Further, India must immediately make every effort to ensure that weapons already delivered to Israel are not used to contribute to acts of genocide or violations of international humanitarian law,” it said. “The details of export licences, including the country to which exports are being made, should continue to be in the public domain, as was available on the website earlier. You are therefore requested to review and cancel/suspend all existing licences for supply of military arms and munitions by Indian companies to Israel.”

The signatories included former Supreme Court judges, Justices Ruma Pal, B. Sudarshan Reddy and S.N. Variava, former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, author Arundhati Roy, social activists Harsh Mander and Aruna Roy and economist Jean Dreze.