Gaza: UN Commission of Inquiry Report

Lord Purvis of Tweed Excerpts

Thursday 18th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Helic (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

The noble Baroness needs to read the letter in full. The letter was in response to an inquiry by the IDC, I think, on the issue of F35s. It is not for this Government to determine genocide. We have never determined genocide. There is one occasion when we have determined genocide, and that was the Holocaust, and that happened before there was a court that had the competency to do so. We have never done it since. It is right that we do not, and I think it would be a very dangerous move for national Governments, politicians or campaign groups to be able to decide what constitutes genocide and what does not. Determining genocide is not the main question that ought to be concerning us about what is happening in Gaza. What is happening in Gaza is costing the lives of thousands of people. There is famine. It is preventable. What should be at the forefront of all of our minds is not arguing about the determination and use of one word. It is about getting those children fed and getting the medical attention to those who desperately need it.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

My Lords, I respectfully say to the Minister that the noble Baroness, Lady Helic, and I have read that letter in full. The Minister refers to preventable famine in Gaza. Starvation as an act of war is expressly prohibited by the additional protocols to the Geneva conventions. As the Minister just said, this is now happening. This is a war crime. This is the first conflict since those additional protocols to the Geneva conventions were accepted by the United Kingdom when we have not taken action against those responsible for carrying that out. Why?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

There are processes under way at the ICJ and the ICC. Although we do not take it upon ourselves to attribute genocide, that does not mean that we do not consider other breaches of international humanitarian law. We have taken a number of steps that we have discussed frequently in this Chamber in response to that around arms export licences and sanctions. We continue to use any levers that we have, including those that may arise next week at the United Nations General Assembly, in response to our grave concerns.