Former UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, and Israel Prime Minister, Bejamin Netanyahu (Picture by Ben Dance / FCDO)
UK politicians continue to deny that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people – they are wrong. This is genocide.
David Lammy, former UK Foreign Secretary, said in parliament in October 2024 that the word genocide is used "when millions of people lost their lives in crises like Rwanda, the Second World War, the Holocaust" and that calling Israel’s actions genocide "undermines the seriousness of that term". In September 2025, the UK Foreign Secretary once again denied that Israel was commiting a genocide - despite recognising the "high civilian casalties" and "extensive destruction in Gaza".
Under the Genocide Convention, genocide means acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a group. That is exactly what Israel is doing in the Gaza Strip.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 64,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children. It is starving Palestinians by blocking food and medical supplies – at least 135 children have been starved to death.
Israel’s assault has left the Gaza Strip in ruins: 92% of homes and schools have been destroyed or damaged, and 98% of farmland is unsuable.
In January 2024, the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, ruled that Israel was plausibly committing genocide. Over a year and a half on, the situation in Gaza is much worse. Now, The International Association of Genocide Scholars, many human rights groups and experts agree – this is genocide.
The UK Government is misleading the UK public – Israel is breaking international law and committing genocide. The UK must immediately take action to stop Israel's genocide, and the UK’s complicity.
Read more about why Israel's actions amount to genocide here.
