UK MPs call on UN-led military intervention to stop Gaza war

Five British Members of Parliament (MPs) have called on Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to “urgently pursue UN-led military intervention” to stop Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Middle East Eye reported on September 17th.

The letter was initiated by independent MP Adnan Hussain and was signed by three members of the parliamentary Independent Alliance—Ayoub Khan, Iqbal Mohamed, and Shockat Adam—alongside Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George.

The appeal follows a damning report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine and Israel, dated September 16th, which concluded that Israel has committed four of the five acts prohibited under the 1948 Genocide Convention and that Israeli leaders have demonstrated intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a whole.

“The UK is a founding signatory of the Genocide Convention and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” the letter stated. “These positions are not ceremonial. They come with binding legal obligations.”

According to the MPs, Britain is legally bound under the Genocide Convention to “prevent and to punish genocide.” They added that the UN Charter empowers the Security Council to take enforcement measures, “including military intervention, in cases where there is a threat to international peace and security.”

The letter argued that diplomatic efforts have failed, having been “tried and systematically ignored by Israel.” As a result, the MPs urged the government to push for a Security Council resolution authorising “all necessary measures, including military action, to protect civilians in Gaza and halt genocide.”

If such a resolution was vetoed, the MPs suggested the UK should instead lead a General Assembly initiative for UN-backed intervention. They also called on the government to urgently begin consultations with other states “to prepare for a multinational peace enforcement mission capable of establishing protected zones, enforcing ceasefires, and guaranteeing humanitarian access.”