Gaza: UN Commission of Inquiry Report

Lord Kennedy of Southwark Excerpts

Thursday 18th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Grocott (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, we will hear from the Conservative Benches next and then the Liberal Democrat Benches.

[Baroness Helic (Con)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her further explanation and updating of what she said yesterday about how it is not for politicians to determine whether there is a genocide or not—I fully agree with that principle. However, I am slightly confused, because only two weeks ago the Foreign Secretary wrote a letter to the International Development Committee and said that the Government have concluded that Israel is acting without intent to commit genocide. Surely, if the Foreign Secretary could assert that there was no genocide, he was making a political determination. On what basis has that conclusion been reached, and why is it acceptable to rule out genocide but not to affirm it?

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Grocott (Lab)]

My Lords, it is time for this side. The Front Benches do not come first.

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, we can get both noble Lords in, whichever goes first.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, to nobody’s surprise, it has been reported that the Government are going to proceed with recognition of the state of Palestine, probably this weekend. While I accept that it was not their intention, this decision has been warmly welcomed by Hamas and its supporters, who regularly wave their flags on the streets near this place. Can the Minister tell the House why, when they originally announced this dramatic change of policy, they imposed lots of impossible-to-meet conditions on the State of Israel but none on Hamas, not even the release of the dozens of hostages still languishing in the dungeons of Gaza?