Thank you to those constituents for sharing their ongoing, deep concerns and views about the devastating continuing conflict between Hamas and Israel. Many have written or shared mass email campaigns with me on multiple occasions since the start of this latest and most terrible iteration of these ongoing hostilities on the 7th October 2023.
This is the first time social media has roundly been used to livestream and amplify any conflict; unsurprisingly, footage providing a constant narrative from Gaza alongside images of the horrors of war have been projected directly into our lives, and I greatly appreciate the profound impact this has had on a lot of people.
As you may be aware, I have been regularly posting statements and updates on my website since the appalling attacks by Hamas on October 7th and will do so as the situation in the Middle East continues to change and evolve. However, as our policy and casework enquiries remain extraordinary in their breadth and nature, I am currently encouraging constituents to check my website for any updates on this issue.
Meanwhile the latest from Westminster:
The outgoing British foreign minister wrote in a letter on September 1st 2025 to a parliamentary committee that the Labour government had carefully considered the risk of genocide.
"As per the Genocide Convention, the crime of genocide occurs only where there is specific 'intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group'," he said in the letter and,
"The government has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent." despite appalling civilian suffering.
While I am aware of the UN International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory statement released on the 16th September, the International Development Minister, Baroness Chapman, was asked by Lord Singh in the Lords yesterday (17 September) on the government’s response to the Commission’s report:
Lord Singh: My Lords, a UN report has found clear evidence of Israeli genocide in Gaza. There is also a campaign of terror by Israelis in the West Bank against Palestinians. Would the Minister agree that the Government of a country that carries out such atrocities should be unequivocally condemned rather than supported in their mission?
Baroness Chapman: I fundamentally disagree with politicians unilaterally declaring genocide anywhere. For genocide to mean anything, it must be protected as designated by a competent court. However much political pressure there is, or whatever our views might be, it really matters that we maintain that. As soon as you start ascribing genocide as a political act, then it becomes meaningless. We have to be very clear that that is a decision to be made by a court.
Downing Street has reiterated the UK government’s position remains that rulings on any alleged genocide in Gaza can only be made by the courts.
All eyes are now on President Trumps’ visit to see if this yields any substantive changes in policy.
