Amnesty says India's arms exports to Israel risk complicity in Gaza genocide

Amnesty International has accused India of continuing to supply weapons, ammunition and components to Israeli military suppliers despite the war in Gaza. In a report shared on Thursday, the rights group said the shipments create a substantial risk that the goods could be used in what it described as the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The allegation centres on trade flows that Amnesty says have continued since the start of the Israeli offensive on 7 October 2023.

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The report says Amnesty investigators analysed 2,596 shipments of weapons, ammunition, parts and components sent from India to Israel since that date. It says Indian companies supplied at least 390,516 small-arms parts for military-grade weapons, 564,970 parts of explosive ordnance such as drone warheads and artillery shell casings, and 298 components of military vehicles. Amnesty said it used shipment trade data and excluded consignments that may have been intended for civilian use.

According to the report, the exports were sent to Israeli companies that supply the Israeli military. It also says India has built a close and profitable partnership with Israel's defence sector and has become a significant contributor to the supply chains supporting military operations. The report refers to goods classified under internationally recognised Harmonised System codes for weapons, ammunition and related items.

Earlier customs documents obtained this year reportedly showed Indian firms exporting arms-related components to Israeli manufacturers including Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, IMI Systems Limited and MCT Materials. The findings matter because they place India's defence trade under renewed scrutiny at a time when the Gaza war has drawn intense international legal and political attention. The International Court of Justice issued provisional measures in 2024 ordering Israel to take action to prevent genocide in Gaza.

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Since then, human rights groups and independent United Nations experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the conduct of the war and the risk of civilian harm. Amnesty's report adds a new layer by focusing on the role of third-country suppliers in the military supply chain. India and Israel have developed a long-standing defence relationship, and the report argues that this has become more significant during the current conflict.

The alleged shipments include small-arms parts, explosive-ordnance components and military vehicle parts, suggesting a broad supply chain rather than a single category of equipment. The report also points to the scale of the trade, saying the number of shipments runs into the thousands over nearly two years. What remains unclear from the report is how Indian authorities and the companies named in the customs documents will respond to the allegations.

Amnesty's analysis is based on trade data and shipment records, but it does not by itself establish the final end use of every item exported. The next developments to watch are whether India comments on the report, whether any export controls are reviewed, and whether the findings prompt further legal or diplomatic scrutiny of arms transfers linked to the Gaza war.

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