PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(19 November 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on (a) the conduct of the Israeli military in Gaza and (b) Israel's compliance with Article 1 of the Genocide Convention.

Asked by:
Richard Burgon (Independent)

It is the UK's long-standing policy that any determination of genocide should be based upon the judgement of a competent national or international court, and this is not for governments or non-judicial bodies to determine. This approach ensures that any determination is above politics, lobbying, and individual or national interest. The government fully respects the independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is currently considering the application and interpretation of the Genocide Convention in the South Africa v Israel case, and we await its decision.

On 5 November, I raised our grave concerns that Kamal Adwan continues to come under fire with the Israeli Ambassador. We remain deeply concerned by reports that many medical facilities are no longer in use or are inaccessible to humanitarian actors. Israel must comply with international law. As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement on 16 October, we, alongside our partners, continue to press Israel to take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties, allow aid into Gaza and enable the UN and its humanitarian partners to operate effectively. With our French and Algerian counterparts, we called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on this issue on 16 October.

Answered by:
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1 January 1970