The MPs pointed out that as signatories to the Genocide Convention, the United Kingdom “has a clear and binding legal obligation to prevent genocide wherever it occurs.”
A group of British MPs has sent a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for the immediate expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to the UK ,Tzipi Hotovely, as well as a total arms embargo on Israel.
“Mounting evidence, including reports from United Nations agencies, international humanitarian organizations, and expert legal scholars, indicates that the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza amount to acts of genocide – in both intent and effect,” the letter, signed by more than a dozen MPs from Labour, the Greens, the SNP, and Plaid Cymru, stated.
Updated letter requesting the government act urgently in the face of genocide in Gaza. Thank you to all my Parliamentary colleagues for signing. pic.twitter.com/XYtlUytJHW
— Adnan Hussain MP (@AdnanHussainMP) August 14, 2025
The MPs pointed out that as signatories to the Genocide Convention, the United Kingdom “has a clear and binding legal obligation to prevent genocide wherever it occurs.”
“This includes actions beyond mere condemnation, rather, active and immediate measures to stop atrocities, and hold perpetrators accountable. Failure to act is complicity,” they emphasized.
Concerns over Gaza’s Full Occupation
The signatories said they were “horrified” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated intention to carry out a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip.
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“This declaration is the latest escalation in a campaign that has already led to the near-total destruction of Gaza, the systematic starvation of its civilian population, and the deaths of countless thousands, including a staggering number of children,” the MPs wrote.
The MPs called on the government to “immediately” take the “urgent steps” of expelling the Israeli ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, “as a signal that the UK will not tolerate the continued defiance of international law and the perpetuation of mass atrocities.”
Arms Embargo, Sanctions
They also demanded that the government “Impose a total arms embargo on Israel, including the suspension of all export licenses, components, and military cooperation in accordance with the UK’s domestic law and international obligations to prevent arms from being used in war crimes or crimes against humanity.”
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MPs also called for international sanctions to be enforced on individuals and institutions “directly involved in the siege and occupation” of Gaza.
They also urged a coordinated international effort to “deliver immediate aid to Gaza,” “comply with and enforce” the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice, and “support international investigations into war crimes and genocide,” including through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and independent inquiries.
Furthermore, the MPs called to “suspend trade preferences and military-industrial cooperation” with Israel until the “blockade and occupation end,” and to allow for the “immediate entry of international media and journalists into Gaza.”
‘Silence is Complicity’
“The government cannot continue to provide political cover or military support, directly and indirectly, to actions that amount to genocide,” the MPs said. “We cannot preach a rules-based international order while aiding in its destruction.”
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They said it “is time for the UK to stand firmly on the side of international law, humanity, and justice,” adding “Our silence or inaction in the face of genocide is not neutrality, it is complicity.”
Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, Zarah Sultana, Dianne Abbott, Sian Berry, and Liz Saville Roberts are among the signatories.
Staggering Death Toll
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 61,700, wounding more than 154,500, with over 14,000 still missing.
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Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Perhaps the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary should return the money given them by Israeli lobbyists.