NGOs say they will sue Denmark to end arms export to Israel

COPENHAGEN — A group of NGOs say they will sue the Danish state to end the Nordic country’s arms exports to Israel, citing concerns that its weapons were being used to commit serious crimes against civilians during the war in Gaza.

Amnesty International Denmark, Oxfam Denmark, ActionAid Denmark and Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq say in a joint statement they would bring the case against the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national police, which approves Danish sales of weapons and military equipment.

“We feel that we are completely within the lines, the rules of the game that apply,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters. The National Police declined immediate comment without having seen details of the lawsuit.

Legal firm Kontra Advokater, who will be representing the NGOs, said it would file the lawsuit to a Copenhagen district court within the next three weeks.

“For five months we have been talking about a potential genocide in Gaza, but we have not seen politicians take action,” Tim Whyte, secretary-general of ActionAid Denmark, said.

Israel vehemently rejects the genocide claims, saying its war is targeting the Palestinian terror group Hamas, not the Palestinian people, following its October 7 massacre across southern Israel when terrorists killed some 1,200 and took 253 hostages.