A LABOUR minister has been pictured grinning with an Israeli politician found guilty of illegally using Palestinians as human shields.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer met with Israeli politician Yair Golan on Thursday, where the pair reportedly discussed the need for a "just plan for Gaza to ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians".
Golan is leader of Israel's Democrat party and a reserve aluf (General) in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
He was found guilty of ordering the use of Palestinians as human shields in 2007 and has previously said that Israel's starvation of Gaza is "completely legitimate".
He was named in South African submission to the United Nations “relating to the State of Israel’s intent and incitement to commit genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza”.
The submission states: “On 13 October 2023, Reserve Major General Yair Golan was quoted by the Israeli press as stating that: ‘We should tell them: listen, until [the hostages are] released, from our side you will starve to death. This is completely legitimate.’”
Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime under international law.
In a post on social media after the meeting had taken place, Falconer said: "There must be an immediate ceasefire and the return of all hostages held by Hamas as a first step towards long-term peace.
"Productive meeting with @YairGolan1 today. We agreed there must be a just plan for Gaza to ensure long term security for both Israelis and Palestinians."
There must be an immediate ceasefire and the return of all hostages held by Hamas as a first step towards long-term peace. Productive meeting with @YairGolan1 today. We agreed there must be a just plan for Gaza to ensure long term security for both Israelis and Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/T1NZhy5NC3
— Hamish Falconer MP (@HFalconerMP) July 10, 2025
The tweet was shared by Golan, who wrote: "The world is interested in the return of the hostages, the end of the war, the rehabilitation of Israel and Gaza without Hamas, and a comprehensive regional arrangement."
This is not the first time Golan has met with Labour MPs. The Israeli politician attended the Labour Party conference last September, where he was pictured meeting Falconer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
And he recently met with a number of Labour MPs who visited Israel on a lobbying trip, despite the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The meeting comes as at least 18 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since dawn.
Israel's brutal assault on Gaza has now killed at least 57,762 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, most of whom were women and children.
On Friday, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), accused Israel of engineering the "most cruel and Machiavellian scheme to kill" in Gaza, after nine children were killed while waiting in line for food supplements.
In a post on Twitter/X, Lazzarini said that Gaza had become "the graveyard of children and starving people".
