Palestine: Legal Obligations

6. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the UK is meeting its legal obligations under international law in relation to Palestine.

The suffering in Gaza is indefensible. We have been very clear that Israel has an obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the provision of aid in Gaza and that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency has a critical role. The priority is for aid routes to be fully opened, international aid to get in and international non-governmental organisations to be permitted to operate in Gaza again. UK support so far has meant that over 430,000 people have received essential healthcare and over 650,000 have received food. We are working intensively to support global peace initiatives, and humanitarian aid delivery is an integral part of that.

On 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice found that it is “plausible” that Israel’s acts could infringe rights of the Palestinian people protected by the genocide convention. Since then, tens of thousands have been murdered and Gaza has been reduced to rubble. The ICJ has affirmed that states have a duty to act when they learn of a serious risk of genocide and must take immediate and effective proactive measures to protect vulnerable populations. Will the Solicitor General confirm what specific proactive measures the UK Government have taken to fulfil their obligations to prevent genocide under the genocide convention in Palestine and what more they need to do?

Since this Government have come to office, we have been very clear that Israel has an obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the provision of aid in Gaza and that UNRWA has a critical role in delivering that response. The UK remains firmly committed to upholding international law. It is the UK Government’s long-standing position that any determination as to whether a genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court. That is consistent with our obligations under the genocide convention.