The UK government has concluded that Israel’s war in Gaza, while “utterly appalling” in its civilian toll, does not amount to genocide — nor has the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found any credible basis to claim otherwise.

In a letter to Parliament’s International Development Committee, Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that London does not believe Israel has breached the Genocide Convention or that there is even “plausibility” to the charge of genocide.

“The Government has carefully considered the risk of genocide,” Lammy wrote, noting the high civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza. “The Government has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent.”

The statement comes as South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ proceeds, with the court ordering provisional measures to improve humanitarian access. But Lammy stressed that these interim steps “should not be regarded as creating an awareness of a serious risk of genocide,” underscoring that the ICJ has yet to make any ruling on the merits of the claim.

While firmly rejecting the genocide allegation, Lammy’s letter was sharply critical of Israeli policy. He denounced the expansion of military operations in Gaza, condemned settlement approvals in East Jerusalem’s E1 area, and warned that the war has inflicted a “catastrophic humanitarian situation.”

Israel’s ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office last month in protest. Still, the UK stopped short of applying the genocide label — a critical legal and diplomatic marker that would carry far-reaching consequences for Britain’s foreign and defense policy.

The letter also reiterated that Britain suspended defense export licenses that could be used in Gaza in September 2024. The sole exception remains participation in the global F-35 fighter jet program, which Lammy argued is vital for NATO security and European defense. Direct exports of F-35 parts for Israeli use have been halted, he said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)