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Israel and Gaza
20 May 2024
Lead MP
Andrew Mitchell
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Foreign Affairs
Other Contributors: 46
At a Glance
Andrew Mitchell raised concerns about israel and gaza in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister, Andrew Mitchell, announced the Government's continued efforts to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He stated that the best way forward is securing a deal for the release of hostages and establishing a pause in fighting through prisoner exchanges. The UK supports this approach as endorsed by the UN Security Council, despite recognising the difficulty it poses for the Israeli Government. Mitchell emphasised the need to remove Hamas’s capacity for attacks on Israel while working towards forming a new Palestinian government and promoting a two-state solution. He also highlighted ongoing humanitarian efforts including aid delivery operations and collaboration with international partners such as the United States and Qatar. The minister committed almost £10 million in funding for these efforts and acknowledged the critical need to increase aid flows into Gaza, protect civilians, and establish effective deconfliction processes.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
Question
The MP reiterated his previous question asking whether Foreign Office officials had advised that the threshold for International Criminal Court jurisdiction was met. He also questioned the Government's stance on upholding international law and supporting the ICC, as well as its commitment to a ceasefire.
Minister reply
Andrew Mitchell responded by reiterating the government’s position against seeking warrants from the International Criminal Court, stating it would not be helpful in achieving peace. He did not explicitly confirm or deny whether officials had advised on the threshold for ICC jurisdiction.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
Question
Thanked Minister for advance sight of statement. Critiqued conflict's ongoing destruction, deaths, and regional risks. Called for immediate ceasefire, diplomatic pressure intensification, US collaboration to prevent Rafah offensive, and clarity on advice regarding ICC jurisdiction. Questioned previous statements' consistency with current stance.
Minister reply
Acknowledged shared views but maintained confidentiality of legal advice. Stated UK does not recognise Palestine as state under Rome statute for ICC jurisdiction reasons. Reiterated alignment with rule of law principles.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Stamford
Question
Expressed condolences to families affected by recent murders, including Popplewell family's ordeal. Welcomed maritime port efforts but noted tide limitations for September onwards. Highlighted Kerem Shalom crossing inefficiency since May 6th and Rafah crossing closure issues, urging reopening of Rafah crossing and aid acceptance via Erez West.
Minister reply
Thanked Select Committee Chair. Emphasised importance of road-based aid delivery as UK demand on Israeli Government. Hoped for Egypt-Israel deal to resolve Rafah crossing difficulties.
Brendan O'Hara
SNP
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Question
Condemned selective approach to rule of law. Welcomed ICC arrest warrants for Hamas leaders but criticised Israeli response as disproportionately lethal with evidence of war crimes and humanitarian violations. Called out eight-month delay in Government assessments, alleging political cover.
Minister reply
Clarified position on ICC proceedings, rejecting notion of immediate findings from pre-trial chamber decisions. Emphasised UK commitment to rule of law while questioning the effectiveness of warrant issuance towards achieving hostage release or ceasefire.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
I ask this question in my personal capacity, not as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. In general, I am a strong supporter of the work of the ICC. The terrorist attack was undoubtedly designed to provoke an overreaction by the Israelis and to polarise societies, and it has succeeded in both those aims. May I ask the Minister to encourage the House to read the ICC’s statement in full? Helpfully, it is available online. May I urge people with a partisan view on either side of this atrocious issue to seriously take on board what the ICC is saying about the activities of the side they support, as well as those of the side they oppose?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes a good point about ensuring that the debate is informed by facts, not rhetoric.
Dawn Butler
Lab
Brent East
Question
I am a little bit confused. The Government have previously said that they will not endorse any military operation in Rafah because it would be against international law. The Minister has said today that that would be the case unless there was a very clear plan on how to protect people and save lives. What has changed?
Minister reply
Nothing has changed at all. We have repeatedly made it clear that we cannot support an attack on Rafah without seeing a detailed plan. Clearly, that means a constructive plan that abides by IHL on all counts.
Question
Does my right hon. Friend agree that this is a grotesque overreach by the ICC? Courts, too, must act within the rule of law, and the jurisdiction of a court is not for itself to judge. The statute of Rome, which set up the International Criminal Court, clearly delineated the powers of the Court. The US and the UK have both previously said that the ICC does not have jurisdiction. Under its founding charter, it can only act against a sovereign state that is a signatory. The US, Israel and dozens of other countries are not signatories, and Gaza is not a sovereign state. Putting aside any purported evidence for a moment, the Court does not have jurisdiction, and like any other court, such as a traffic court or a magistrates court, it has to act within its powers—the powers set up for it by the international community. Is it not true that the ICC is acting outwith its powers and, sadly, setting itself up as a political court?
Minister reply
I have made clear our position on the ICC. On what my right hon. and learned Friend says, many people will agree with what Benny Gantz said this morning: 'Placing the leaders of a country that went into battle to protect its civilians in the same line with bloodthirsty terrorists is moral blindness'.
Question
Many of us, from all parts of this House, have supported the right of Israel to exist and, consequently, its right to defend itself over many years, and we have also condemned as appalling the atrocities that were carried out by Hamas on 7 October, but as the Minister said in his statement, after seven months of fighting, it is becoming difficult to imagine the realisation of a lasting peace; I agree with him on that. Does he not agree that until Israel realises that it has to listen to its friends, in this House and around the world, and take responsibility for its own actions, our support for it will decline rapidly?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman accepts that Israel has the right to self-defence, but says that it must exercise it within international humanitarian law. He makes the important point that we have to lift people’s eyes to what a future settlement based on a two-state solution will look like when this appalling catastrophe is over. A great deal of work is going on behind the scenes with regional partners, with great powers and through the United Nations to ensure that we can lift people’s eyes and that there is a deal to be done that will, at long last, draw the poison from this terrible situation.
Question
Facts are important, and the facts have not changed since 7 October. It is Hamas who embed themselves in civilian areas, use civilian institutions and put their own people at risk in this conflict. It is Hamas who have committed rapes as a weapon of war. It is Hamas who are still holding innocent civilians hostage. And it is Hamas who went into Israeli communities on 7 October and butchered 1,200 people, including slicing the breasts off women and the limbs off children. On the other side, we have the democratic, liberal state of Israel with an independent judicial process and a Supreme Court that is respected internationally and that the ICC is supposed to respect. Yet there are people in here who, from day one, have done very little to call out some of the other behaviour and everything to hold Israel to a standard they do not hold others to. That is why the Czech Prime Minister and the—[Interruption.]
Minister reply
My hon. Friend speaks with great passion and feeling on this subject, and I think he might be one of those who agree with what Benny Gantz said this morning. I have read into the record exactly what he said, and I think there will be large numbers of people, both in this place and outside, who will think that what Benny Gantz said made a lot of sense.
Richard Foord
Lib Dem
Honiton and Sidmouth
Question
The Cyprus maritime corridor is welcome, but it risks acting as a fig leaf for the fact that there is not enough aid getting into Gaza. The Colonna report found that the Israeli authorities had yet to provide proof of their claims that UN staff in Gaza were involved in terrorist organisations. The UN Relief and Works Agency is the only serious organisation capable of supplying aid to those Palestinians in Gaza who are innocent. Why will the British Government not follow the lead of our Australian, Canadian and European allies and reinstate funding to UNRWA?
Minister reply
As far as maritime access is concerned, the hon. Gentleman is right to say that the best solution has always, from the beginning of this, been access by road. That is by far the easiest, quickest and least expensive way of getting aid to desperate people. He is entirely correct about that.
In respect of the Colonna report, we are still waiting for the Office of Internal Oversight Services report from the United Nations, and I am advised that there has been good co-operation between the United Nations and the Israeli authorities on that. On UNRWA, as I have said, we are waiting for that report. The House should expect that we will be restoring funding to ensure that humanitarian support is available through that mechanism, but I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will reflect on the appalling events that were revealed in connection with UNRWA staff, and we must complete the process that I set out.
Question
The Israeli war Cabinet looks divided. The chief of staff is pressing for a ‘day after’ strategy, the Defence Minister has outlined his concerns, and the former Defence Minister and chief of staff, Benny Gantz, has asked to see the Government’s post-war plan for the Gaza strip and wants it to include six strategic goals, all of which look very similar to our own goals, as my right hon. Friend has outlined. Perhaps he would care to comment. The former Defence Minister has threatened to resign if the plan is not announced by 8 June. Will he have to resign, or is there a chance that there will be a plan on which both he and we can agree?
Minister reply
I very much hope that my hon. Friend is correct in saying—and, indeed, hoping—that there will be a plan. His perceptive question shows that there are many voices in Israel, and the fact that he quotes two such senior figures—one seeking to know the ‘day after’ strategy, and the other wanting to see a post-war plan—underlines the response I gave a moment ago to the right hon. Member for Knowsley (Sir George Howarth). We have to lift people’s eyes to the fact that this dreadful conflict will come to an end, and we will then need to have a plan to ensure that the future is very different from the past. I remind the House that the tremendous progress made in the Oslo accords took place on the back of the intifada. Out of great darkness, we must ensure that a proper plan comes forth.
Apsana Begum
Lab
Poplar and Limehouse
Question
Can the Minister explain how his Government can possibly justify continuing to support a military campaign that has involved the denial of electricity and basic services to civilians; the starving of civilians and the blocking of aid; the bombing of civilian infrastructure; the forced displacement of millions; the killing of journalists and aid workers; and the killing of civilians, including large numbers of children, on an unprecedented scale?
Minister reply
We do not support that. What we support is Israel’s right of self-defence, but it must be carried out within international humanitarian law.
Question
There is a danger that the scope and timing of the ICC’s arrest warrants might somehow imply moral equivalence, but it is quite clear that the fighting should stop. What does the Minister think will be the impact of those warrants?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a most interesting point. This smacks of an unworthy, indeed ludicrous, sense of moral equivalence between a murderous, proscribed terrorist organisation and the democratically elected Government of Israel, who are seeking to protect their citizens and recover their 124 remaining hostages.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
When we talk about the role of the ICC, it is not about whether it is moral but about making sure that a democratic state falls within the rule of international law. An estimated 35,000 people have been killed and 132 hostages are still being held. The Arab League has now called for an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in the west bank until a two-state solution is negotiated. Will the Deputy Foreign Secretary answer the question of my right hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy), which he failed to answer, on the offensive in Rafah? Will we join our American allies in responding to that by stopping the sale of all war components?
Minister reply
That is not what the American Government have done. They suspended one shipment, but they have not stopped any other supply. To answer the first part of the hon. Lady’s question, the Government continue to seek a pause in the fighting, which could lead to a sustained ceasefire, as well as to getting the hostages out and aid in.
Tobias Ellwood
Con
Bournemouth East
Question
Asks the Deputy Foreign Secretary to address Iran's influence on extremist non-state actors and its impact on achieving lasting peace in Gaza. Emphasises that Iran must be challenged for a sustainable resolution.
Minister reply
Acknowledges Iran’s malign influence through proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis. Hopes Iran will cease disruptive activities but sees potential for a reset due to recent events involving Iranian leadership.
Justin Madders
Lab
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
Question
Questions the Government’s position on the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction over Israel, citing concerns about American support withdrawal if ICC targets Israel.
Minister reply
Reiterates that UK is an ICC member while US is not. Advises careful language use in debates involving these conflicts.
Stephen Crabb
Con
Beckenham
Question
Critiques the false moral equivalence drawn by ICC between actions of Israel and Hamas, warns about risks for UK troops from such moves.
Minister reply
Agrees with criticism against false moral equivalences that delegitimise Israel. States clear stance against them.
Chi Onwurah
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Question
Raises concerns about Israel’s lack of accountability for aid worker killings, despite earlier assurances; asks if self-investigation is sufficient.
Minister reply
Acknowledges Israel's legal capacity to investigate but notes expectation for an independent investigation. Confirms steps taken by Israel and ongoing assessment with allies.
Mark Logan
Con
Bolton South East
Question
Critiques Israeli Security Minister’s comments on aid truck stoppages, urges sanctions against violent protesters and their supporters.
Minister reply
Confirms actions taken against some settlers but declines to discuss future sanctions. Asserts that senior Israeli Cabinet does not support security minister's stance.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
Calls for sanctioning violent protesters at Gaza border who destroy aid trucks; questions if the Government will act.
Minister reply
Notes sanctions against some settlers but declines further discussion on future sanctions. Reiterates position of most senior Israeli officials.
Tom Hunt
Lab
City of Durham
Question
Questions accuracy and impartiality of ICC report equating Hamas and Israel; asks for solid data.
Minister reply
Agrees on need for accurate data, citing potential inaccuracy in figures reported. Considers moral equivalence criticism widely shared.
Chris Law
SNP
Dundee Central
Question
Urges reconsideration of unequivocal support for Israel including arms sales suspension, immediate ceasefire demand, and restoration of UNRWA funding.
Minister reply
Declines to suspend arms sales or reconsider support prematurely. Confirms full funding commitment to UNRWA up to current month; requests reforms from UNRWA.
Henry Smith
Con
Crawley
Question
Inquires about the percentage of aid trucks successfully delivering supplies into Gaza, citing recent aid centre visits.
Minister reply
Reports inadequate truck delivery rates and notes improvements in understanding regarding permitted materials. Emphasises need for increased humanitarian support.
Afzal Khan
Lab
Manchester Rusholme
Question
New polling by YouGov shows that 73% of the British public support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and 55% support the UK suspending arms sales to Israel for the duration of the conflict. Does the Minister recognise that his Government are elected to represent the people of Britain, and will they finally represent the majority of the people in Britain by calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and suspending all arms sales to Israel?
Minister reply
On arms sales, the hon. Gentleman knows that it is not for the whim of a politician at the Dispatch Box to decide for or against; there is a proper process to be followed based on legal advice, and he would not expect Ministers to deviate from that entirely proper way of judging these things. We all want a ceasefire, but we want a sustainable ceasefire. That is why the Government have consistently pressed, as endorsed by a United Nations resolution, for a pause in the fighting to get the hostages out and allow aid in. That would be the way to lead to a sustainable ceasefire, as a precursor to a longer-term deal. The British Government will continue, I hope with his support and that of others on the Labour Benches, to prosecute that endeavour.
Emma Hardy
Lab
Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Question
How can the Minister argue that his Government respect international law when he denies the jurisdiction of the ICC in this conflict?
Minister reply
I have not denied the position of the ICC; what I said is that we are at an early stage in the process, and cannot reach those judgments at this point.
Birmingham Erdington
Question
We must not forget that civilians and their children are the innocent victims of this war. The UN says that 800,000 people have been forced to flee Rafah since 6 May. In Gaza, there is clearly nowhere left that is safe, so will the Minister explain what he thinks the consequences should be for any all-out attack on Rafah and any forced displacement of civilians?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is correct that about 800,000 people have now left Rafah. Through the pier, we managed over the weekend to get in 8,000 shelter kits, enough for around 40,000 people, but we are part of a growing consensus that is trying to provide support. The Israeli defence force warned 400,000 people to leave. Almost double that have left, and we are doing everything that we can to support them in their new locations. As I have repeatedly made clear, we will not and cannot support an attack on Rafah without seeing a detailed plan, and we have not seen a detailed plan.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
Could the Deputy Foreign Secretary tell us in specific terms what military flights are taking off from Akrotiri to Israel? Are the Israel Defence Forces using Akrotiri? Are the US forces using Akrotiri? What is the nature of the overflying of Gaza by the RAF? Is surveillance information being sent to the IDF in response to that? In short, what is the military relationship between Britain and Israel at the present time?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman is an extremely senior Member of this House, a former leader of the Labour party, and he well knows that we do not comment on security information across the Floor of the House.
Question
Other countries have now suspended arms sales. Other countries have restored the funding going forward to UNRWA. Why are we now leading from behind rather than leading from the front on this? Should we not now do the right thing, suspend arms sales and refund UNRWA?
Minister reply
I think I am right in saying that no country has suspended existing arms sales arrangements and agreements, but the fact remains that we have our own regime in that respect. We act in accordance with legal advice and we will continue to do so. In respect of UNRWA, I have set out for the House the processes that we are going through and the hon. Gentleman, like me, will hope that those processes are successful.
Alex Sobel
Lab Co-op
Leeds Central and Headingley
Question
The Deputy Foreign Secretary enjoyed referencing Mr Gantz a number of times. Mr Gantz has set out his conditions for the end of the war and a “day after”. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s spokesperson said: ‘The conditions set by Benny Gantz are empty words whose meaning is clear: an end to the war and…establishing a Palestinian state.’ It is very clear now that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants a forever war and is opposed to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. What are the UK Government saying to Prime Minister Netanyahu to ensure that he understands where we and the international community stand on this issue—as do many Israelis, including members of his own Government? What action is being taken against Ben Gvir, Smotrich and the Prime Minister of Israel, who are clearly trying to prolong the war in Gaza?
Minister reply
What the hon. Gentleman says underlines the fact that Israel is a pluralist democratic society where there are different views. He asked me what the British Government are saying to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and I can assure him that both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have frank, open and detailed exchanges on those matters.
Daisy Cooper
Lib Dem
St Albans
Question
It is the position of the Liberal Democrats that the UK Government should give their backing to the ICC. If the Conservative Government do not believe the ICC has jurisdiction, which international institution or legal mechanism do they intend to look to in order to ensure that any breaches of the law of war on the frontline can be prosecuted?
Minister reply
As the hon. Lady knows, we make our own judgments on international humanitarian law. We are quick to come to the House if anything changes, but nothing has changed since the Foreign Secretary made his comments in Washington, I think, in early April. On the subject of the ICC’s announcement today, I hope the House will accept that it is premature to respond further before the pre-trial chamber has considered the application for warrants.
Tan Dhesi
Lab
Slough
Question
The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which has today applied for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Hamas leader and others, must be respected. Contrary to what the Deputy Foreign Secretary said earlier, I must correct the record for him: he said that ‘we do not think that the ICC has jurisdiction in this case.’ The Israeli Government have ignored, for the past three months, the motion passed by the UK Parliament, as proposed by the Labour Party, for an immediate ceasefire and are instead planning a full-scale offensive on Rafah, which would be a humanitarian catastrophe. Can the Deputy Foreign Secretary confirm whether, if that planned assault does go ahead, the UK Government will suspend arms or component sales to Israel?
Minister reply
It is very kind of the hon. Gentleman to seek to correct the record, but his repetition of what I said was absolutely correct, and we have said it since the outset, so he should not be particularly surprised by it. I cannot foretell what the consequences will be in respect of Israeli actions, but I can tell him the position of the British Government on an operation in Rafah: that does not respect international humanitarian law, which is why we have said that we cannot support it unless we see a detailed plan.
Debbie Abrahams
Lab
Oldham East and Saddleworth
Question
Labour believes that international law must be observed. As such, we want the sale of arms and components to be suspended, and we want the perpetrators of violence against innocent civilians, whether Israeli or Palestinian, to be held to account. I am still unclear on what the Deputy Foreign Secretary and his Government believe. Do they believe in upholding international law?
Minister reply
It should come as no surprise to the House that of course the Government not only believe in international humanitarian law but seek to uphold it. I have set out clearly in the House on a number of occasions exactly how we carry out our duties in that respect, and I hope that that will give the hon. Lady confidence. In respect of the International Criminal Court, she is jumping too far ahead. We have set out the limited decision that has been made and announced today, and we should not jump ahead of it.
Jeff Smith
Lab
Manchester Withington
Question
The Deputy Foreign Secretary said earlier that ‘The House should expect that we will be restoring funding’ to UNRWA. It sounds like the Government have made up their mind. If that decision has been made, and given the absolutely horrendous humanitarian situation in Gaza, why do we not just get on with it? If there is any chance that funding will not be restored, what are the Government doing as an alternative plan to get humanitarian aid in?
Minister reply
The Government operate through other agencies as well as UNRWA. We have been very close indeed to the World Food Programme, through which an enormous amount of humanitarian aid is distributed. On UNRWA, we will go through the stages that I have set out clearly to the House. The hon. Gentleman can rest assured that, from my discussions with the United Nations Secretary-General in New York just over a week ago, UNRWA is funded for the moment, and we hope that our own funding, subject to the results of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services inquiry and the implementation of the Colonna report, will be restored.
Joanna Cherry
SNP
Edinburgh South West
Question
Asked the Deputy Foreign Secretary to clarify which part of the opinion from an independent panel of experts on international law is wrong, given that the panel agreed with the ICC prosecutor’s assessment regarding Palestine and Gaza.
Minister reply
Responded by mentioning a letter signed by 600 lawyers agreeing with Joanna Cherry's point, but also referencing another from around 1000 lawyers who disagree. He emphasised there are various interpretations of this matter.
Holly Lynch
Lab
Keighley
Question
Asked the Deputy Foreign Secretary to recognise damage being done by the Government’s refusal to accept first ICJ ruling and now that of the ICC, and questioned when will he accept that the situation could not get any worse.
Minister reply
Stated the view is to avoid intervention from the Court as it aims to get hostages out and humanitarian resources in; respected the Court but believed UK's position was different.
Chris Bryant
Lab
Rhondda
Question
Asked who would judge international humanitarian law if not an international court, especially given that Israel has a right to defend itself within these bounds.
Minister reply
Stated Ministers take legal advice on humanitarian law and act within it, they do not make up laws in their own minds.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South
Question
Asked if the Government's view regarding aid workers also applies to more than 100 journalists killed during the conflict.
Minister reply
Confirmed they were appalled by deaths and destruction, and the House has always championed protecting journalists.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Denton and Reddish
Question
Inquired about the UK upholding any application in this territory if requested by ICC prosecutor.
Minister reply
Responded that it is premature to seek such judgment; need for pre-trial chamber to consider evidence first.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Asked about steps to ensure independently verified information rather than propaganda, given Israel’s efforts to avoid loss of life.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the importance of Israeli lawyers in military planning and targeting, thanked Jim for expressing balance.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith
Question
Critiqued Government's dismissal of ICC procedures as undermining international law and calling out war crimes.
Minister reply
Surprised by the critique, noted he hoped hon. Gentleman would recognise the point that they are not rushing to conclusions.
Orkney and Shetland
Question
Asked for confirmation on UK Government's assistance in warrant execution should any be granted by ICC prosecutor.
Minister reply
Confirmed British Government will always act in accordance with the law.
Question
Inquired about perception that evidence level required to determine war crimes varies based on alleged perpetrators, and asked for clarity on ICC jurisdiction.
Minister reply
Responded by noting UK Government's consistency in acting according to the rule of law.
Khalid Mahmood
Lab
Birmingham, Perry Barr
Question
Asked if Deputy Foreign Secretary believes ICC has jurisdiction on this issue and requested a straight answer.
Minister reply
Acknowledged consistency in previous responses regarding ICC jurisdiction.
Sarah Edwards
Lab
Tamworth
Question
Inquired about steps taken with international allies to help create conditions for immediate ceasefire observed by both sides.
Minister reply
Noted Britain's diplomatic efforts through UN resolution for sustainable ceasefire, aimed at getting hostages out and humanitarian supplies in.
Arfon
Question
Neither the USA nor China nor Russia are party to the International Criminal Court. Does the Minister therefore recognise that, as permanent members of the Security Council, the UK and France have a special responsibility to support the ICC and uphold international law?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman will have noticed that today I have been careful to be very clear about our support for the ICC, but equally to urge the House not to rush to judgment in a process that has a number of stages.
Shadow Comment
David Lammy
Shadow Comment
The shadow Minister, David Lammy, criticised the Government's approach, calling for an immediate ceasefire as per UN Security Council resolution demands. He urged the UK to work with the US to prevent a full-scale Israeli offensive in Rafah and asked whether any assessment had been received from officials indicating that the threshold for ICC jurisdiction was met. Lammy questioned the Government’s stance on upholding international law, criticising their backtracking on supporting the International Criminal Court's independence. He emphasised Labour's commitment to respecting all legal obligations under the Rome statute, including those related to arrest warrants issued by the ICC.
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