Britain’s new government has rejected calls from 80 MPs and peers to recognise Israel’s genocide in Gaza, impose a full arms embargo and introduce comprehensive sanctions against the occupation state.
The decision has intensified criticism of Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, whose first statements in office raised expectations of a break with the policies of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer but have so far produced little substantive change.
In a cross-party letter led by Labour MP Kim Johnson, members of the House of Commons and House of Lords urged Burnham to recognise the findings of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
I’m one of 80 MPs & Peers calling on the PM to:
– Recognise the UN’s findings on genocide & implement the ICJ ruling in full
– Impose sanctions including a full arms embargo
– Ban trade that supports Israel’s illegal settlementsEnd Britain’s complicity in genocide, now. pic.twitter.com/TjtJ0yj2Qq
— Kim Johnson (@KimJohnsonMP) July 23, 2026
The parliamentarians called on the government to “fundamentally change its position” by supporting Palestinian rights and taking steps to prevent further Israeli violations of international law.
They also urged ministers to implement the International Court of Justice’s ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation, impose comprehensive sanctions, introduce a complete arms embargo and prohibit trade in goods and services linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
However, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office declined to endorse any of the demands.
The rejection follows criticism of Miliband’s first statement as foreign secretary, in which he referred explicitly to “Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine” but described Israel’s assault on Gaza only as “conflict in the Middle East”.
British governments and senior ministers have repeatedly made legal and political judgements about Russia’s conduct without waiting for a final international court ruling. The UK described Russia’s invasion as illegal from its outset and accused Russian forces of committing war crimes.
In September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It found that Israeli authorities were responsible for four of the five genocidal acts identified in the 1948 Genocide Convention and urged all states to fulfil their legal obligations to prevent and punish the crime.
In June 2026, the Commission reported that Israeli authorities and forces continued to commit genocide and other atrocity crimes, including through the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children.
The UN findings are part of a much broader body of expert assessments.
READ: UK accused of branding Gaza children security threat while blocking family re-unification
Amnesty International concluded in December 2024 that Israel had committed and was continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem reached the same conclusion in its July 2025 report, Our Genocide. The International Association of Genocide Scholars later declared that Israel’s policies and actions met the legal definition of genocide under the Genocide Convention.
Despite these findings, the British government has maintained that only a court can make a genocide determination.
During a House of Lords debate following the UN Commission’s September 2025 report, ministers insisted that the government would not describe Israel’s actions as genocide until a competent national or international court had ruled on the issue.
Burnham had sought to distance himself from Starmer’s record before entering Downing Street. He acknowledged that Labour “got it wrong” in its initial response to Gaza and admitted that Britain had been too slow to call for a ceasefire.
However, he stopped short of recognising genocide, arguing that the matter should be left to international courts. Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali accused Burnham of hiding behind the courts when discussing Israel while showing no similar hesitation in condemning Russia.
Ali warned that the duty under the Genocide Convention is to prevent genocide rather than wait until the destruction has been completed and formally adjudicated. Recognising the evidence, he argued, would also raise questions about Britain’s arms exports, surveillance cooperation and wider support for Israel.
READ: Israeli rights watchdogs say Israel committing genocide in Gaza
