Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 53578 on Genocide Convention, whether his Department made an assessment of the merits that Israel was in breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's long-standing policy is that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process.

In the context of export licensing, Criterion 1 of the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria requires respect for the UK's international obligations and commitments. We have carefully collated, reviewed and assessed relevant evidence concerning the Gaza conflict. In September, we took decisive action, stopping exports to the Israeli Defence Forces that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict. The action we have taken, as announced to Parliament, is consistent with all our legal obligations, including those under the Arms Trade Treaty and Genocide Convention, and we remain wholly committed to international law.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on the application of the global humanitarian principles of (a) humanity, (b) impartiality, (c) independence and (d) neutrality in relation to Israel's policies in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On 19 May, the UK signed a joint donor statement with 26 other humanitarian donors, which directly called on Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity. This statement referenced humanitarian principles, underscoring that humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every warzone. Further, our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May was clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that prioritises political or military objectives or puts civilians at risk. The UK government has repeatedly called on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has reiterated this in his recent calls with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the funding of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has been clear with Foreign Minister Sa'ar that Israel must allow unrestricted aid into Gaza. In their latest call, the Foreign Secretary shared concerns about the rising risks of famine and starvation in Gaza, as well as the new aid delivery system, including the reduction of aid delivery points in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary was clear that aid cannot be used as a weapon of war. In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we made clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that prioritises political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. The UK supports the UN and humanitarian partners. We have endorsed the UN's plan for delivery of aid put forward on 16 May - it is based on humanitarian principles, has built in mitigations against aid diversion and uses established mechanisms to deliver at the scale required. We call on Israel to urgently engage with the UN to ensure a return to a full and unhindered resumption of the safe delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles.

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