Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 53578 on Genocide Convention, whether his Department made an assessment of the merits that Israel was in breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in July 2024.

The UK's long-standing policy is that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process.

In the context of export licensing, Criterion 1 of the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria requires respect for the UK's international obligations and commitments. We have carefully collated, reviewed and assessed relevant evidence concerning the Gaza conflict. In September, we took decisive action, stopping exports to the Israeli Defence Forces that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict. The action we have taken, as announced to Parliament, is consistent with all our legal obligations, including those under the Arms Trade Treaty and Genocide Convention, and we remain wholly committed to international law.