Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, has criticised the UK government for failing the Palestinian people and allowing Israel to act with impunity in the West Bank and Gaza. Speaking at a Westminster event on Monday, she accused her own government of lacking ambition and failing to follow up on its recognition of Palestine as a state.
Thornberry said the decision to recognise Palestine, taken more than eight months ago, should have been the first of many steps towards a two-state solution. “Where is the second step, where is the 10th step, what are we doing?” she asked. She also rebuked Donald Trump for declaring a ceasefire in Gaza and then walking away, leaving Gazans to live in rubble.
Pointing to the death toll of over 72,000 Palestinians and continued killings during the so-called ceasefire, Thornberry said: “Anyone who believes that what Gazans have right now is a genuine ceasefire has to look at what the truth is.” She noted that more than 700 have been killed in Gaza since Trump’s announcement.
Thornberry highlighted Israel’s “staggering” sense of impunity, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel intends to take over 70% of Gaza. She called for stronger UK action, including banning imports from illegal settlements, imposing sanctions, and stopping British companies from involvement in settlements.
She urged the UK to revive the group of states that backed Palestinian recognition in 2025, saying: “Let’s together act together so we make sure that it is so economically painful for Israel that settlement expansion becomes untenable.” She concluded that the tragedy of Gaza is a lesson of doing “too little, too late” and warned that the West Bank must not suffer the same fate.
