Question
On 14 October, the UN’s international commission of inquiry on the OPT and Israel published its latest report. I quote paragraph 43, which concludes that “Israeli military operations in the West Bank since 7 October 2023 constitute a course of conduct that forms part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population” and states that “sexual and gender-based violence” and targeted attacks against children form part of that co-ordinated action on the part of the Israeli military. This is not just settler terrorism; it is action by the current Israeli Government. Has the Secretary of State read that report of the independent international commission of inquiry? Does he recognise its conclusions? How can he continue to treat the current Israeli Government as an ally in that context, and what further action will he take to ensure that the UK is not complicit in these abuses?
Answer
I have seen that report, and I undertake to read it comprehensively. The reason we took the actions we did on 8 September was precisely to say that we will not stand by in silence as the suffering continues in Gaza and the west bank. We called out increasing evidence of war crimes in Gaza, and we called out ethnic cleansing by settler terrorists in the west bank. We are going to act, and we will work with the hon. Lady and others across this House to ensure we take the maximum possible action to achieve what we want to see, which is peace, security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians.50% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The minister said they had seen the report and committed to reading it, which directly answers that part of the question. The reply did not clearly say whether the Secretary of State accepts the commission's conclusions or the specific finding about Israeli military operations in the West Bank, and it did not justify describing the current Israeli Government as an ally. On the question of action, it offered only general commitments without naming any concrete measure or addressing complicity, so the person who asked would likely need to follow up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has the Secretary of State read the report of the UN international commission of inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel published on 14 October? | Addressed | Direct | The minister states directly that they have seen the report and undertakes to read it comprehensively, which answers whether they have read it; the 'seen' versus 'read' distinction is a mild nuance but does not make the answer evasive. |
| Does the Secretary of State recognise the commission's conclusions, including its finding in paragraph 43 that Israeli military operations in the West Bank constitute a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply does not say whether the Secretary of State recognises the commission's conclusions or the para 43 finding on Israeli military operations in the West Bank. It instead refers to calling out war crimes in Gaza and ethnic cleansing by settler terrorists, which is adjacent to but not the specific finding asked about. |
| What is the justification for the Government continuing to treat the current Israeli Government as an ally in light of the commission's findings? | Not Addressed | Generic | Nothing in the reply justifies treating the current Israeli Government as an ally; the closing reference to 'peace, security and dignity' is a platitude that does not engage with the question. |
| What further action will the Government take to ensure that the UK is not complicit in the abuses identified in the report? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply makes a general commitment to 'act' and to 'take the maximum possible action', but it does not name any concrete measure and does not address complicity in the abuses identified in the report. |