At today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated the government’s view that claims that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza constitute genocide are wrong.
This follows comments from the Foreign Secretary on Monday that accusations of genocide against Israel “undermine the seriousness” of the term.
Green MP Carla Denyer asked: “The ICJ has mandated that Israel must ensure access to lifesaving aid in Gaza under article 2 of the genocide convention, yet the Israeli Government have voted to effectively block its delivery. As a human rights lawyer, does the Prime Minister agree that banning UNRWA is a breach of international law? How much more evidence does he need before he calls out what is happening as genocide and acts in line with the UK’s responsibilities as a signatory to the genocide convention?”
To which the Prime Minister replied: “I am very worried and concerned about the decision that has just been taken by the Parliament in relation to UNRWA. There is a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and that decision will only make it much worse, which is why I have expressed my concern about it already, before today, and will continue to do so. It needs to be reversed very quickly indeed. I have never described what is going on in Gaza as genocide, but I do agree that all sides should comply with international law.”
