War on Gaza: Palestinians launch legal action against BP over oil supplies to Israel
A group of Palestinians who have had family members killed in Gaza have launched legal action against the British oil giant, BP, alleging that the company is fuelling the war on Gaza by facilitating the supply of crude oil to Israel.
The International Centre for Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), which is made up of lawyers, politicians, and academics, said in a statement on Monday that BP needed to uphold its human rights responsibilities and fully disclose all policies and contracts relating to operations in connection with oil supplies to Israel.
Israel relies heavily on oil imports to power the fighter jets, tanks, and military vehicles it is using in its onslaught on Gaza, as well as to fuel the bulldozers it uses to raze Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank.
The BP-operated Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline has emerged as a major provider of oil supplies for Israel's military, with crude exports spiking since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.
The pipeline stretches 1,770km and carries oil from Azerbaijan to Georgia and Turkey. From the Ceyhan Terminal in southern Turkey the oil is distributed to international markets, including Israel.
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Since Israel launched its war on the enclave, Azerbaijan has seen crude oil exports to Israel increase to around 1.3 million tonnes per month, a sharp increase from the 1.2 million tonnes it exported throughout all of 2022.
Tayab Ali, the director of the ICJP and head of international law at Bindmans LLP, said the legal action marked a "new phase" in accountability for those "that are complicit in alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity".
Ali said BP had violated the UN guiding principles on business and human rights, as well as the prohibition of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity under customary international law, as well as obligations under its own policies, which require BP to avoid contributing to human rights abuses.
"The evidence against BP demonstrates a clear failure to adhere to its own human rights policies and international law," Ali said.
"By facilitating the transport of oil that fuels military operations in Gaza, BP has contributed to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the region. Our clients seek justice for the profound suffering and loss they have endured and call on BP to act responsibly by immediately halting its involvement," he added.
Middle East Eye reached out to BP for comment but did not receive a response by time of publication.
International legal experts, including UN experts, have warned suppliers to Israel that they risk complicity in genocide and war crimes by sending weapons and military supplies to Israel - not just because of its extermination campaign in Gaza, but also its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and policies of apartheid.
A UN commission has found that Israel has committed war crimes during the war on Gaza, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently hearing a case brought by South Africa which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Since Israel invaded the besieged Gaza Strip, its soldiers have routinely taken photos and videos of themselves blowing up homes and schools, and abusing captives - with many freed Palestinians saying they were tortured, beaten and starved whilst in Israeli captivity.
At least 45,000 Palestinians have been reported killed, according to an official toll by the Palestinian health ministry. But other estimates suggest the death toll could be as high as 186,000.
According to the World Food Programme, Israel has tightened it siege on Gaza's northern governorate in recent months, rejecting 97 percent of requests to deliver aid to the densely populated neighbourhoods of Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalia.
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