Israel-Hamas War: Diplomacy

Andy McDonald Excerpts
Monday 11th December 2023

(5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Andrew Mitchell Portrait Mr Mitchell
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The hon. Lady asks whether the Government agree with Labour on these matters. As she knows, there is agreement on many of these things across the two Front Benches, in particular that calling for a ceasefire is not the right thing to do.

Andy McDonald Portrait Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough) (Ind)
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Israeli Defence Minister Gallant has been reported as saying that,

“Gaza won’t return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything”,

and that,

“We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.”

He is not the only Israeli political leader to make such dehumanising statements. All the while, war crimes are inarguably being committed by Israeli forces, who have killed close to 20,000 Palestinian people. Does the Minister believe that such statements indicate genocidal intent, and what concrete steps is he taking to sanction those responsible?

Andrew Mitchell Portrait Mr Mitchell
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What I can say is that, in Gaza, there will in the future be no place for a Hamas Administration.