Israel and Gaza

Mark Logan Excerpts

Monday 20th May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mitchell]

As the hon. Lady will know, Israel has the rule of law and the ability to investigate those matters, but she is entirely correct to say that the Foreign Secretary made it clear that we expect a detailed independent investigation. Israel has taken a number of steps. She will have seen the acts that were taken against those who were responsible for the decisions made in those attacks, and she will be pleased to know that we are considering, with our allies, the best way to inject further independence into that investigation.

[Mark Logan (Bolton North East) (Con)]

My constituents in Bolton are livid today, because they have seen through the International Criminal Court that there is evidence that

“acts were committed…to use starvation as a method of war”,

along with violence; evidence of the collective punishment of the civilian population of Gaza; and evidence that

“Israel has intentionally and systematically deprived the civilian population in all parts of Gaza of objects indispensable to human survival.”

Never mind being on the right side of history; will we ensure that we are on the right side of the present?

[Mr Mitchell]

The fact that the prosecutor has applied for arrest warrants to be issued does not directly impact UK licensing decisions, for example, but we will continue to monitor developments as part of our assessment process. Once again, I am grateful to my hon. Friend for acting as such a brilliant conduit between his constituents and the Government, and for his work on the issue.