Cooper backs view Labour was too slow to call for Gaza ceasefire
Foreign Secretary calls for stronger action against Israel over trade with illegal settlements and an expansion of the sanctions regime
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has stepped into the debate over Labour’s initial response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, backing Andy Burnham’s criticism that the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire.
Asked by the Foreign Affairs Committee whether she agreed with Burnham’s assessment that the UK should strengthen its approach and had been slow to call for a ceasefire, Cooper replied: “Yes, I do agree with that.”
She clarified that Burnham’s comments referred to Labour’s position before entering office: “We should have been faster to call for a ceasefire, and also been clearer from the start about the importance of international humanitarian law.”
On Monday, Keir Starmer defended his government’s initial response after the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, telling Jewish News: “I know exactly why it was important for our country to steer a careful path in the aftermath of a horrific attack.”
Pic PA
Starmer also rejected earlier calls from Burnham and others to demand a ceasefire in Gaza just weeks after October 7, insisting he had also “made the argument for more humanitarian aid to get into Gaza with a terrible situation evolving there.”
However, Cooper indicated that stronger action is needed going forward, highlighting trade with illegal settlements and an expansion of the sanctions regime as areas under review.
“The broader point about international humanitarian law is important,” she added, “because we’ve seen a series of breaches—not just in Gaza and the West Bank, but in other parts of the world as well. Our sanctions regime currently can’t effectively be used on breaches solely of international humanitarian law.
“That’s what I believe we need to change, and that’s what we are looking at—how to expand the sanctions regime. That would allow us to use sanctions in cases where there are egregious breaches of international humanitarian law.”
Asked whether she had discussed these points with Burnham, Cooper said: “We have had some of those discussions, and I’m sure those discussions will continue.”
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