Supreme Court Dismisses PIL on Stopping Arms Export to Israel

The Supreme Court rejected a PIL requesting the cessation of arms exports to Israel, citing the judiciary's inability to intervene in foreign policy matters. The court noted that imposing such restrictions could affect international relations and dismissed the plea filed by Ashok Kumar Sharma and others.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre to stop the export of arms and military equipment to Israel, which is currently engaged in a war in Gaza. The court stated that it cannot enter the domain of the nation's foreign policy.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted that Indian firms involved in the export of arms and equipment to Israel may be sued for breach of contractual obligations, and hence, cannot be stopped from supplying military gear.

''We cannot enter into the nation's foreign policy domain,'' the bench asserted. The PIL, filed by Ashok Kumar Sharma and others through lawyer Prashant Bhushan, sought to cancel licenses and prevent granting new ones for exporting arms to Israel. Israel's ongoing war in Gaza has led to significant casualties among Palestinians after Hamas gunmen's unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in about 1,200 Israeli fatalities.

(With inputs from agencies.)