My Response to the War in Gaza: FAQs

Jan 20, 2025 | News

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I have received thousands of emails from constituents since October 7th 2023 regarding the horrific violence witnessed in Israel and Gaza. Indeed, no single topic has been the subject of more correspondence since I was first elected in 2019. It is important that so many of you have felt compelled to contact me about this situation and I have tried to respond to people as quickly as possible. Due to the range of emails I have received, I have tried to address the varying issues raised on this page. I also apologise if you have already contacted me regarding this issue and are receiving similar responses. I firmly believe consistency on this matter is important.

Britain’s history in the region and the role it has played in creating this cycle of killing and bloodshed places a special responsibility on us to push for peace. Our government must make every effort to call for this, not to fan the flames of war. Our immediate priorities must be ending the military offensive on Gaza, allowing humanitarian access to food, water, energy and medicines, and securing the safe return of all hostages. Our long-term priority must be peace, ensuring the fundamental rights of all Palestinians and Israelis are upheld. A just and lasting peace can only be achieved through the equal application of international law.

I welcome the January 2025 Ceasefire

I cautiously welcome the ceasefire commenced on 19th January 2025, which will see an end to fighting for the next six weeks. During the first phase of this ceasefire deal, we should see the release of a wave of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and a major increase of aid into Gaza.

This ceasefire comes far too late for the thousands of Palestinians killed, injured, displaced and left without access to food and basic medical care during an apocalyptic Israeli military offensive. It is also important to remember that this is the beginning of the peace process, not the end.  In the days that followed the ceasefire’s commencement, we have seen a resurgence of Settler violence in the West Bank alongside a new military operation in Jenin, a densely populated urban area. These actions risk undermining the fragile ceasefire and call into Israel’s commitment to a long-term peace process into further doubt. 

I was outraged by the last government’s longstanding refusal to even call for a ceasefire, let alone take action to achieve one. During the last Parliament, I consistently called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and joined protesters on the streets to push for one. In November 2023, I signed and voted for a King’s Speech amendment which called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Unfortunately, this was voted down. In July 2024, I was also one of the primary sponsors on a King’s Speech amendment urging the government to suspend arms sales to Israel and uphold international law.

I will continue to urge the UK government to do everything in its power to ensure the ceasefire holds so that hostages and prisoners can be released. The devastation unleashed by this war must also prompt a rethink of our policy of arming Israel, which makes our country a party to war crimes.  Finally, I believe the UK government must work to ensure the application of international law to all those who committed war crimes during this conflict, including senior Israeli figures wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Courts. 

I condemn violence against innocent civilians on October 7th 2023 and since  

I am appalled by the killings witnessed in Israel, Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I utterly condemn Hamas’ kidnap and murder of innocent Israeli civilians. I was alarmed to hear reports of the use of sexual violence in these attacks. We must do everything to secure the safe return of these hostages and bring those accountable to justice. I am very alarmed by the reports of war crimes since the 7th October and support calls for these to be investigated. 

All nations have the right to respond to acts of terror. All nations also have a duty to prevent the commission of war crimes in so doing. I condemn the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza and the scale of the subsequent offensive, which has resulted in an alarming number of civilian deaths.

The Israeli Government’s decision to cut off energy, water and food to the entire civilian population, repeated orders for millions of people to leave their homes, and the routine bombardment of civilian personnel and infrastructure represent collective punishment which is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions. 

I’ve long called on the government to recognise a Palestinian state 

UK recognition for a Palestinian state shouldn’t be dangled as a prize at the end of peace process. Treating Palestine and Israel as equal partners is a prerequisite for any just and lasting settlement. The UK government won’t be part of the solution until it recognises this. Labour’s 2024 manifesto committed us to “recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process”. I will push the government to follow through on this.

I have consistently called for a UK arms embargo against Israel 

I have long raised concerns about the UK government’s role in supplying military hardware to Israel, which may have been used against civilians in Gaza and potentially even against British citizens. I have signed EDM #177, calling on the government to halt arms sales to Israel and I also echoed these calls during a Westminster Hall debate on the 12th December 2023. 

In February 2024, I joined more than 200 elected representatives to call for an immediate embargo on arms sales to Israel. The ICJ ruling means this is now not just a moral necessity now but a legal one. I was a signatory on Zarah Sultana’s letter urging the government to suspend arms sales in March 2024 and a principle sponsor on her King’s Speech amendment in July 2024 to end arms sales and uphold international law.

It seems increasingly clear that exporting military hardware made in Britain to be used in the mass slaughter of Palestinians and civilians from elsewhere is not just immoral but clearly illegal. It puts us on the wrong side of international law.

I condemn the deliberate targeting of healthcare professionals, journalists and aid workers 

Amid the appalling civilian casualty count, it is incredibly distressing to see the high numbers of aid workers, health providers, and journalists who have lost their lives since October. In what has been the deadliest war for aid workers in the history of the UN, at least 224 aid workers have lost their lives. Gaza’s Ministry of Health has recorded the deaths of at least 484 health workers and its Media Office has stated that 140 journalists and media workers have been killed.

When three UK aid workers from World Kitchen Central were killed in cold blood on the 1st April 2024, UK political leaders refused to even call for a proper independent investigation into their deaths, never mind suspend arms sales to the forces that killed them. It is disgraceful that the last government put Israel’s war above the lives of British citizens. There should be a full independent investigation into their deaths. 

I have signed EDM 284 which calls for the protection of journalists reporting on the events in Gaza, EDM 254 which calls for the creation of a short-term medical evacuation for children in Gaza, and EDM 327 which recognises the work of healthcare professionals in Gaza and supports calls for them to receive the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

I consistently called for UNRWA funding to be reinstated

On the 19th July 2024, I was relieved to see funding reinstated to UNRWA, the one agency with the infrastructure and expertise to supply aid across Gaza. I agree with the Foreign Secretary that aid funding to Gaza is a “moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe”. I spoke out against the decision to withdraw funding at the time, which was made on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations.

I believe our government and the international community must do more to get aid into Gaza

Gaza has been pushed to the brink of a major famine and faced the most severe food crisis in the world. Children in Gaza have died from malnutrition and dehydration. IDF operations in Gaza have blocked the delivery of water, food, and fuel, razed agricultural areas and wilfully impeded other forms of humanitarian assistance. Israeli officials have publicly expressed their aim to deprive civilians in Gaza of food, water, and fuel. The starvation of Palestinians is not an act of God but a deliberate policy, supported by all those who have failed to call for a ceasefire or call out war crimes. 

The biggest limiting factor for aid delivery into Gaza was the enormous tonnage of bombs being dropped on the area. There is seemingly no end to the mental gymnastics that western political leaders were willing to engage in to avoid calling for the immediate and permanent ceasefire needed to prevent more mass civilian casualties and allow backed up food trucks to enter.

The current ceasefire means we are now seeing the biggest influx of aid to Gaza since October 7th 2023, with more than 630 aid trucks entering on the first day alone. I urge the government to

My stance on the ICC arrest warrants

On the 20th May 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) filed applications for warrants of arrest for senior leaders in Hamas and Israel. This is an important legal case, which offers the possibility of breaking through what Human Rights Watch has called “the wall of impunity” that Israel has long hidden behind.

The previous Conservative government lodged an objection to this case at the time, taking their lead from the Biden Administration. I opposed this attempt to thwart the judicial process at the time and signed EDM (Early Day Motion) 14 when the new Labour government came in. This urged the government to reverse this position, which it thankfully did on the 26th July.

One of the most important tools we have for preventing civilian deaths is ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice. If Benjamin Netanyahu or Yoav Gallant come to Britain, it’s absolutely essential that we comply with our treaty obligations and turn them over to face justice.

My stance on the ICJ ruling

On the 29th December 2023, South Africa made a submission to the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) to declare Israel in breach of its obligations to the 1948 Genocide Convention, alleging that “acts and omissions by Israel” in Gaza “are genocidal in character” and have been committed with “the requisite specific intent” to “destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and [ethnic] group”. South Africa asked the ICJ to issue Provisional Measures and order Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza”. 

On the 26th January 2024, the ICJ ruled in favour of South Africa, ordering Israel to take steps to prevent and punish any incitement of genocide in Gaza and to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. Israel was also obligated to report back to the court in one month on the actions it was taking to this effect. I welcomed the ICJ ruling on this issue but like others, I was dismayed that the judgement fell short of calling for a ceasefire. In my view, the only way to prevent genocide in the region was for Israel’s allies, most notably the US, to press for an immediate ceasefire.

I condemn the undemocratic treatment of pro-peace protesters

The mass arrest of people protesting the Gaza genocide in January 2025 (including democratically elected representatives) was an outrageous infringement of our rights to free speech and free assembly. The ceasefire protests of the last fifteen months have been overwhelmingly peaceful, diverse, and well-attended. Those in attendance are many of the same people rightly celebrated across our society for standing up to the far right during last summer’s riots. I believe these repressive police actions highlight the pressing need for the repeal of anti-protest legislation designed to silence those seeking to highlight social injustices. 

Supporting Muslim and Jewish communities in the UK 

I am concerned to hear reports of rising levels of Islamophobia and Antisemitism in the UK, and around the world. No one deserves to face hate or prejudice because of their religious beliefs and minority groups should not be targeted because of international conflict. Anyone who has suffered or witnessed Antisemitism is encouraged to contact the Community Security Trust. Anyone who has suffered or witnessed Islamophobia is encouraged to contact Tell Mama UK. These two organisations are involved in mapping hate crimes. 

Supporting constituents with stranded families

As well as failing to push for a ceasefire, the last government did not do enough to help people leave the warzone. During the first few weeks of the conflict, I was contacted by constituents trapped in the occupied West Bank and unable to leave. I have also been contacted by at least one constituent whose relatives were unable to flee Gaza because there is nowhere for them to submit the biometric data our government requires of them. I’ve been glad to see families challenging this decision in the courts and winning. 

If you are a constituent and require assistance with leaving the territory or with family reunion, please reach out to my office at bell.ribeiroaddy.mp@parliament.uk.

I support the creation of a Palestinian family reunion scheme 

The last government’s response to the plight of Palestinian refugees driven from Gaza was typical of their punitive approach to people seeking safe passage in our country. I found this out for myself when my constituent attempted to apply for family members to join him in February. They were rejected because they could not provide the biometric data that the Home Office requires of them. By asking Palestinian refugees to apply in Ramallah, Jerusalem, or in a nearby country, the last government effectively told people they would have to travel through an active warzone to submit information. 

Refugees with relatives in the UK are trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare: they cannot enrol their biometrics because they cannot leave Gaza and they cannot leave Gaza because they cannot enrol their biometrics. 

When millions were displaced by Russia’s appalling invasion of Ukraine in 2021, the last government rightly had the Homes for Ukraine Scheme live in a matter of weeks. Yet they have refused to create a similar pathway for Palestinians with relatives already living in the UK. The Home Office has rejected every request from Palestinian refugees for biometric deferral and predetermination since the 7th October. Yet between 15th March 2022 and 7th December 2023, Ukrainian nationals could apply online without the need to do this until after reaching safety in the UK. 

It is important to state clearly that the one thing Palestinians want more than anything is a safe return to their homes, as is their human right. Sadly, the inordinate civilian death toll in this conflict means that many Palestinians simply will not be alive to exercise this right. In the debate on this issue on the 13th May 2024, I made my views on this very clear, calling once again for a ceasefire, an arms embargo against Israel, and the creation of a Palestinian family reunion scheme.

I opposed the Tories’ Anti-Boycott Bill

Even as the bombs rained down on Gaza, the last government was actively seeking to close down routes for peaceful, democratic resistance to what is happening there. Its Anti-Boycott Bill would have prevented public bodies from taking a stand against companies that profit from war crime and human rights abuses, including in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Boycott tactics have been used throughout history to challenge abusive, discriminatory and illegal practices: from the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade to the fall of South Africa’s apartheid regime, and bus boycotts challenging segregation and racism in Jim Crow states of the Southern USA.

This legislation would have protected countries and companies involved in fossil fuels, the arms trade, and human rights abuses from facing democratic pressure for their actions. I am relieved that the last government was unable to pass it before they disintegrated.

I opposed the invasion of Rafah and called on our government to take action to stop it

Israel’s incursions into Rafah, a city more densely populated than Paris or Mumbai, lent renewed urgency to ceasefire calls. As well as the serious likelihood of injury and death to a civilian population, this operation led to another forcible transfer of a civilian population: a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.

Rafah is not just home to a vast number of Palestinian refugees displaced by the bombing and fighting but a vital conduit for humanitarian aid to enter a region on the brink of famine. The most recent offensive choked this off and has forced aid organisations to re-establish already fraught supply lines.

Even before a full-scale assault on the area, medical facilities were already overwhelmed. As of 10th May 2024, there were just three partially functioning hospitals in Rafah.

The last government should have taken every available option to stop this from happening. At the time, I condemned their failure to emulate the US’s decision to pause arms shipments to Israel. I have long urged the cessation of UK arms sales to Israel. I have also been clear that they need to take a much harder diplomatic stance towards this conduct by refusing to provide cover for Israel at the UN and supporting international efforts to bring war criminals from both parties to this conflict to justice.