A SENIOR Labour MP has accused the UK Government of “just going la la la la la” in response to a top international court ruling that Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian land.
At Westminster’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer struggled to explain why the Labour Government had needed more than two years to respond to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) ruling on Israel’s law breaches.
Asked if a response would come in the near future, Falconer suggested it could be another year before the UK Government addresses the ruling.
In July 2024, the ICJ – the principal judicial organ of the United Nations – issued an advisory ruling saying that Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territories like Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank was “illegal” and restitution would include the return of all lands, the evacuation of all settlers, the dismantling of border walls, and compensation from Israel where any of this would be impossible.
The ICJ ruling further said that other UN states, including the UK, were therefore obliged to “ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law” and to refrain from any dealings with Israel relating to occupied Palestinian land.
However, the Labour Government has continued to allow trade between the UK and illegally occupied Palestinian land. Falconer told the House of Commons last week that Labour were looking at introducing a trade ban.
In March 2025, the Middle East Minister had told MPs that the UK Government needed “a bit more time” before responding to the ICJ ruling in full.
Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Falconer struggled to explain why nothing had happened in the past 16 months, or give a time-frame for when a response could be expected.
Labour MP Fleur Anderson said: “On the ICJ, when you came back before the committee in March [2025], you were still considering the government's response to the July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal, and you said you needed ‘a bit more time’ to respond to that.
“You have said many times in parliament that the settlements are illegal. Have you received legal advice now on the response to the ICJ opinion and when will you be making that public? When will you be saying a response?”
Falconer said that he had expected to be asked about the ICJ ruling and was conscious that an answer was “overdue”, but declined to give one.
Emily Thornberry, the chair of the committee, then cut in.
“Last time you told us, I'm going to read this out …you needed ‘a bit more time’, you were going to consider it carefully ‘with the seriousness and the rigour’ it deserves.
“You are going to need to give us an idea. It has been a year, so are we talking a week, a month, or another year?”
Falconer suggested it could be another 12 months before the UK Government responds, but was cut off by Thornberry.
“I certainly recognise another year …” he said, before the chair cut in: “I know you recognise that we're upset about it. I know you recognise that we're getting impatient, but could you just give us an answer?”
Falconer responded: “I'm afraid I'm not in a position to give you an answer to what is our full view on the advisory opinion today.
“I know you will require an answer very soon if we're not to have more of these rather uncomfortable exchanges.”
“We required an answer a year ago,” Thornberry said. “Will we get an answer from the Foreign Secretary when she appears in front of us next week?”
“I mean, how much longer? It's been more than 700 days,” she went on. “We are a country that adheres to international law. We pride ourselves with that. We've got this opinion from a very important international court, and we are just going la la la la la."
Falconer said only that he would talk to the Foreign Secretary.
The UK Government has faced multiple allegations of being complicit in Israel’s illegal actions in Palestine, which various experts have said amounts to genocide in Gaza.
Last month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity across Palestine and deliberately targeted children “to weaken demographic vitality and deny the Palestinian people's right to self-determination”.
It stated: “Based on the evidence reviewed, and consistent with its previous reports, the Commission finds on reasonable grounds that the Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces have continued to commit the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
