Britain refuses to recognize genocide in Gaza
The new British government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejected the demand of 80 MPs to recognize the occurrence of genocide in Gaza and impose sanctions on Israel. The Foreign Office ignored the demands, emphasizing a focus on achieving sustainable peace, without referring to accusations of genocide.
The new British government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to respond to the demand of dozens of parliamentarians to recognize the occurrence of genocide in the Gaza Strip and impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel. Eighty members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords had sent an official letter to the Prime Minister, calling on him to recognize the findings of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, demanding a radical change in Britain's policy towards the Israeli war on Palestinians. The signatories stressed that the new government has an opportunity to open a new page in its foreign policy by committing to the provisions of international law and implementing the decisions of the International Court of Justice. The parliamentarians called on the government to take urgent steps including imposing a complete arms embargo on Israel, imposing comprehensive sanctions, and stopping all forms of trade with Israeli settlements. In response, the British Foreign and Development Office ignored the MPs' demands, stating that the new Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is focused on working towards achieving sustainable peace and ending the suffering of Gaza residents, without referring to accusations of genocide or holding Israel responsible. The office noted that Britain had previously imposed four packages of sanctions on individuals and entities linked to settler violence in the West Bank, stressing that these measures were due to their incitement to violence against Palestinians, not related to the war in the Gaza Strip.