The British Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to consider later this year a legal challenge to the government’s decision to continue exporting British weapons to Israel.

After Tuesday's hearing, Judge Jonathan Swift set next October as the date for another full hearing devoted to the case after resolving some temporary legal issues over the coming months.

Last February, the court rejected a request to expedite consideration of the case.

Dearbella Minogue, a senior lawyer at the Global Legal Action Network involved in the case, accused ministers of making the process “as slow as possible”.

She added: "Given the seriousness of the situation in Gaza, the government must listen to the international legal consensus and stop arms sales now."

The British government said earlier this month that it would not stop arms sales to Israel after reviewing the latest legal advice on the matter.

A coalition of human rights groups is demanding that the court examine the British government's decision to continue selling weapons and military spare parts to Israel despite claims that the order is illegal due to allegations that they were used to commit war crimes.

Britain's strategic licensing criteria stipulate that it should not export weapons when there is a clear risk that they could be used in violation of international humanitarian law.

The British government's Department for Business and Trade, which allows sales on the advice of the Foreign Office, is facing a legal challenge.

It is noteworthy that the British capital, London, witnessed massive demonstrations and marches in support of the Palestinians in Gaza and to denounce the ongoing Israeli occupation massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip, and to demand an end to the export of weapons to Israel.