FOREIGN Secretary Yvette Cooper has admitted that the UK Government was too slow to act on Israel's assault of Gaza, but would not commit to taking stronger action going forward.
Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Committee, Cooper backed incoming prime minister Andy Burnham's verdict that the UK hasn't been strong enough on what experts around the world have described as a genocide.
However, like the former Manchester mayor, Cooper did not describe the brutal attacks as a genocide or point to any concrete action that could be taken against Israel.
Asked whether she agreed with the likely next prime minister’s assessment that the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire and should strengthen its approach, Cooper told the Foreign Affairs Committee: “Yes, I do agree with that.”
She said his comments that “we should have been faster to call for a ceasefire, and also been clearer from the start about the importance of international humanitarian law” referred to the Labour Party’s position before entering office.
“I also think we need to have stronger action going forward,” Cooper said, pointing to trade with the illegal settlements and an expansion of the sanctions regime as areas that are being looked into.
“The broader point about international humanitarian law, I think, is important because we’ve seen a series of breaches of international humanitarian law, not just in terms of what’s happening in Gaza and in the West Bank, but in other parts of the world as well.
“Our sanctions regime currently can’t effectively be used on breaches just of international humanitarian law. That’s what I believe we need to change, and that’s what we are looking at how to change, to expand the sanctions regime. That would then allow us to take particular to use sanctions in those cases where we have egregious breaches of international humanitarian law.”
Asked whether she had made that point to Burnham, the senior minister said: “We have had some of those discussions, and I’m sure those discussions will continue.”
It comes after Palestine campaigners wrote to Burnham urging him to do better when he enters Number 10.
Peter Leary – deputy director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign – told Burnham in a letter that “we must now see decisive action”.
Responding to Burnham’s claim that it is for international courts to decide if Israel is guilty of genocide in Gaza, the letter highlighted that “a vast array of experts and human rights organisations agree” that Israel is guilty of genocide, and that world leaders such as Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has similarly declared it as such.
The letter also highlighted that the "the Genocide Convention requires all states – including Britain – to take action to prevent genocide as soon as they become aware there is a serious risk of it.”
Israel has killed over 70,000 people in Gaza. While a "ceasefire" is in place, Israel has continued its attacks regardless.
The destruction, along with Israel's attacks on Gaza's hospitals, has left residents living in extremely dangerous conditions.
According to the British Red Cross, the vast majority of Gaza residents have been displaced by the bombardment.
