50 UK MPs urge sanctioning 'Israel' over ‘crimes against humanity'
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The Early Day Motion (EDM), introduced by MP Richard Burgon, calls on the UK government to impose sanctions on "Israel" due to its ongoing violations of international law in Palestine.
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A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer making a statement in the House of Commons in London on October 7, 2024. (AFP)
Fifty members of the British Parliament are urging sanctions against the Israeli regime for its “crimes against humanity.”
The lawmakers, representing seven political parties, supported a motion on this issue on Tuesday.
The United Kingdom has suspended certain arms sales to "Israel", while the US has paused deliveries of a specific type of heavy bomb. Nonetheless, both countries assisted "Israel" in intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles earlier this month.
The Early Day Motion (EDM), introduced by MP Richard Burgon, called on the government to impose sanctions on "Israel" due to its ongoing violations of international law in Palestine.
According to the lawmaker, "Israel" has carried out war crimes and violated international law for over a year, adding, "We need real action from political leaders- not just words," in order to force the occupation to end its actions.
Burgon explained that this also means "imposing sanctions on Israel, as the UN General Assembly recently called for.”
The Independent Alliance of MPs—consisting of Jeremy Corbyn, Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, and Iqbal Mohamed—criticized the UK government for its complicity in "Israel's" actions.
In an urgent letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the Alliance questioned whether the government truly opposes genocide.
The letter condemned the new Labour leadership for its “100 days of complicity in crimes against humanity" and expressed “disgust over the government’s complicity in one of the greatest crimes in our lifetime.”
The letter follows a horrific aggression by the IOF in which Palestinian refugees were burned alive. The letter detailed the "unimaginable pain and suffering" of the Palestinians as they experienced their last minutes.
It also detailed how Israeli airstrikes targeted a school where 22 people who were awaiting polio vaccines were killed.
According to the MPs, it was wrong to classify the horror in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis.
"This is not a humanitarian crisis, it is a genocide, aided and abetted by governments including our own," they said.
“The destruction over the weekend coincided with the 100-day anniversary of the new Labour government. Let us be in no doubt. It has been 100 days of shameful indifference to Palestinian life, 100 days of moral and political cowardice, 100 days of complicity in crimes against humanity.”
Does the UK government oppose genocide?
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 14, 2024
An urgent letter to the Foreign Secretary from the Independent Alliance. pic.twitter.com/tKB6NRoCza
The Independent Alliance of MPs questioned when the government will stop selling weaponry to "Israel" and join France, Italy, Spain, and Jordan in asking for a global prohibition. It also inquired whether Downing Street acknowledged the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision finding "Israel" guilty of unlawful occupation of Palestinian areas.
Conditions in Gaza akin to the 'depths of hell': Save the Children
International organization Save the Children described the situation in Gaza as equivalent to the "depths of hell," calling the war on the besieged area a "war on children" since no one is safe.
The organization's Middle East regional director Jeremy Stoner expressed on Monday that "what we're seeing now in Gaza looks like the depths of hell, with reports of attacks on children and families day after day."
"Nowhere is safe," he added in his statement.
The British NGO issued a dire warning about the worsening situation in Gaza, citing that "evacuation orders" might soon become "execution orders" as children suffer a serious lack of life-saving necessities.
Stoner also touched on the grave humanitarian disaster in Gaza, detailing how in the north, Palestinians had been without food for two weeks and stuck in a deadly zone attempting to flee incessant bombardment and shelling.
Stoner expressed further worries about humanity's moral compass, noting that those with the authority and legal obligation to address this violence choose to remain passive. He lamented that some states have instead provided weapons that are being used to kill children and incinerate patients and families in hospitals and makeshift shelters.
“Gaza is what can happen without the rules of war. Except there are rules – for parties to the conflict, and for the international community – which are not being respected,” Save the Children noted.
