Labour MP accuses Sunak of acting as ‘ bystander’ to ‘horror’ in Gaza
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan claims at PMQs: 'No other country would be allowed to act with such impunity'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of acting as “a bystander” to the “horror” of deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.
The MP for Tooting told the Commons: “In Gaza, Israel has attacked hospitals, it’s attacked refugee camps, and it has killed aid workers. Israel has blocked vital aid, turned off water supplies and denied access to food.
“Israel have killed thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians, as the world watches, trampling all over international humanitarian law. No other country would be allowed to act with such impunity.
“So can the Prime Minister tell me why he allows Israel to get away with it unchallenged? And why he continues to act as a bystander to such horror?”
Sunak replied: “I do support Israel’s right to defend itself and remove the threat that Hamas, the terrorist organisation, poses to its people. But I am also deeply concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and I’ve consistently made that point at this despatch box, and to Prime Minister Netanyahu, we must see further action to ensure more aid gets to people who desperately need it.
“The Rafah and the Kerem Shalom crossing must be open to allow more aid in, we’re doing everything we can, trebling our investment, trying to get aid in by land, air and sea and currently working with allies to build a temporary pier.”
Allin-Khan has previously spent time working in Gaza as a doctor and his repeatedly spoken out on the issue.
The PM also hit back after Richard Burgon, the the Labour MP for Leeds East, asked:””What on Earth would be enough to finally move this Prime Minister into the same position as the majority of the British public and end arms sale to Israel?”
Sunak said the UK government did not directly sell arms to Israel and that it granted licenses to weapons companies based on legal advice.
“We do regularly review advice to ensure compliance with international law,” he added.
“Our position with regard to export license is unchanged following the most recent assessment and it is indeed in line with other partners.”
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