B

Baroness Helic (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 18 September 2025

Debate

Gaza: UN Commission of Inquiry Report

Contribution

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her further explanation and updating of what she said yesterday about how it is not for politicians to determine whether there is a genocide or not—I fully agree with that principle. However, I am slightly confused, because only two weeks ago the Foreign Secretary wrote a letter to the International Development Committee and said that the Government have concluded that Israel is acting without intent to commit genocide. Surely, if the Foreign Secretary could assert that there was no genocide, he was making a political determination. On what basis has that conclusion been reached, and why is it acceptable to rule out genocide but not to affirm it?

More from Baroness Helic (Con)

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

Partner sites