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As we approach the first anniversary of the events of 7 October 2023, the world remains gripped by the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The devastation has been staggering—not just for the over 40,000 lives lost, and the over 95,000 injured in Gaza but also for the hostages, their families, the millions of displaced Palestinians, and the civilians trapped in the relentless cycle of violence.
Despite the scale of devastation, the international community remains paralysed, unwilling to act decisively.
In January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the plausible genocide in Gaza, based on overwhelming evidence of atrocities committed by the Israeli military. This was followed in July 2024 by an advisory ICJ opinion declaring Israel’s actions as a belligerent occupation.
These are not symbolic judgments; they represent clear legal rulings that demand enforcement. Yet, these rulings have not translated into action. The genocide and occupation continue unabated, with no meaningful steps taken to hold Israel and its leaders accountable.
For Britain, this legal paralysis is not just a distant issue—it reflects a collapse of the rules-based international order that we once championed.
The failure to enforce international law undermines global stability by emboldening authoritarian regimes worldwide. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Iran’s growing malign influence across the Middle East are clear examples of how unchecked state power leads to greater conflict.
For Palestinians, however, the stakes are existential, and Britain’s inaction is not only a betrayal of the principles of justice of which we are so proud but also complicity in genocide.
The international community has long pushed the two-state solution as the only path to peace. However, this illusion has been killed by the expansion of illegal settlements and the deepening occupation, making a Palestinian state unviable—a reality Palestinians have long recognised.
As Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, wrote in May, “Thirty years after signing the Oslo agreement between the PLO and Israel, the ‘to-state solution’ is dead because of Israel’s continuous colonisation and de-facto annexaction of Palestinian land.”
Israel’s leadership openly rejects the idea of Palestinian statehood. In July 2024, just before Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, the Israeli Knesset overwhelmingly voted against any form of Palestinian sovereignty. In December 2023, Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, declared: “Israel will not accept a two-state solution.“
This isn’t diplomatic posturing—it reflects a hardened political reality where the ever more extreme Israeli governments have long since abandoned even the façade of peace talks.
Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has denied the very existence of the Palestinian people, saying in March 2023 that, “There is no such thing as a Palestinian nation. There is no Palestinian history. There is no Palestinian language,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed in August 2023 that Jewish rights are more important than those of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
These statements, combined with the expansion of settlements and entrenchment of apartheid, along with dehumanising policies, show that the prospect of a two-state solution is dead. The question now is how Britain will respond.
The failure of the two-state framework does not mean the end of hope. Rather, it opens the door to a new possibility: a one-state solution based on equality where the right of return for Palestinian refugees is upheld, and all individuals—regardless of ethnicity or religion—enjoy the same rights, freedoms, privileges and protections under the law.
A system of one-person, one-vote is not just a fallback—it is the only true democratic alternative. However, any lasting solution must be decided by Palestinians and Israelis themselves. Britain’s role should be to support a fair and just process.
Support cannot stop at political discourse—it must include legal accountability. Britain must actively support the ICC and ICJ in holding the perpetrators of the Gaza genocide accountable. Britain should use its diplomatic influence to ensure that justice is served and that such atrocities are not repeated.
Successive British Governments have oscillated between indifference and complicity in the face of Israeli violations of international law. Inaction has been justified as political pragmatism, but this pragmatism comes at the cost of human lives and our moral integrity.
Britain, as a key player in international diplomacy, cannot shirk its responsibility any longer. We cannot afford to be on the wrong side of history, especially as global power dynamics shift eastward.
With China and Russia, both authoritarian regimes with poor human rights records, expanding their influence across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, many countries are realigning towards these powers. This shift underscores the urgency for Britain to act.
The British public has already made its stance clear. The marches against genocide, attended by millions over the past year, in cities across the UK have brought together people from all walks of life, from all religions and none — united in opposition to apartheid, occupation, and ethnic cleansing.
The division is not between different faiths but between those who oppose genocide and those who excuse or enable it.
The British Government is now in the unenviable position of neither being aligned with the moral will of its people, nor upholding its commitments to international law. The British Government must push for sanctions, support ICC prosecutions, and end arms sales that enable the occupation and genocide.
As we reflect on the events of the past year, we must ask ourselves: what kind of world do we want to live in? One where the powerful trample on the powerless with impunity, or one where law, morality, and human dignity prevail?
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The future of the rules-based international order, and the fate of millions in Palestine, depends on how we answer this question. With rising instability across the UK and the broader world, the stakes could not be higher.
Britain must lead the international community in stopping the bloodshed in Gaza and reaffirming the principles of an international-rules based order necessary for global peace and security. The time for action is now.