UK premier avoids urging Israel to end ‘collective punishment’ in Gaza

LONDON (AA) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has avoided responding to calls for him to urge the Israeli government to end “collective punishment” measures in Gaza, despite questions from lawmakers in the House of Commons.

After a statement on the latest situation in the Middle East, Sunak said Monday evening that Hamas was the only side responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza after its attack on Israel last week.

Labour lawmaker Richard Burgon asked Sunak if he had taken the opportunity “to make clear to the Israeli Government that this collective punishment of Palestinian civilians must end immediately.”

“In the words of the United Nations General Secretary (Antonio Guterres), the horrific acts by Hamas do not justify responding with collective punishment for the Palestinian people,” Burgon said.

“But that is what we’re seeing in Gaza: Civilian areas bombed, food, electricity water, medicines all cut off. Such collective punishment is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. So will the prime minister take this opportunity to make clear to the Israeli Government that this collective punishment of Palestinian civilians must end immediately?”

In response, Sunak said: “I actually believe that we should support Israel’s right to defend itself and to go after Hamas and recognizing that they (Israel) face a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians.”

Condemning the “bloodshed in Israel and Palestine,” another Labour member of parliament, Imran Hussain, asked whether Sunak would acknowledge that Israel was in “clear violation” of international law by depriving civilians of basic needs in Gaza.

“The 2 million Palestinians in the open-air prison of Gaza faced a dire humanitarian emergency long before today,” Hussain said, adding: “Yet, indiscriminate airstrikes and siege tactics have turned what was a critical emergency into a devastating catastrophe.”

He asked: “Will the prime minister make it clear to the Israeli government that laying siege to civilians in Gaza by cutting food, water, power, and medical supplies and indiscriminate airstrikes killing civilians is in clear violation of international law? And just what is the international community doing to stop the horrific and inhumane treatment of Palestinians?”

Sunak said “the entity responsible for the suffering we’re seeing is Hamas and, of course, we are the international community. We’ll do our best to alleviate the impact on innocent people, which is why today, we’ve announced further aid to the region. We will make sure that we provide as much humanitarian support as we can.”