65 signatories from nine different political parties and independent parliamentarians sign open letter demanding transparency amid escalating mass atrocities in Gaza

Letter also expresses alarm at the Government’s position in the London High Court hearing on UK arms exports to Israel

Amnesty International’s research has found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip

‘If these subsequent assessments have not led you to conclude that there is a serious risk of genocide in Gaza, triggering your obligation to prevent, we must ask how adequate your assessments are’ - MPs

Over sixty parliamentarians including Baroness Kennedy, Kit Malthouse, Baroness Warsi, Jeremy Corbyn, Alistair Carmichael, Brendan O'Hara, Carla Denyer have today issued an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for the immediate release of the UK government’s assessments on the risk of genocide in Gaza.

The letter follows a statement by the Minister for the Middle East on 6 May, confirming in parliament that the Government is conducting “ongoing assessments” of the risk of genocide. Yet, the only assessment disclosed to date - made public during the London High Court hearing [Al-Haq v Secretary of State] on UK arms exports to Israel - concluded in September 2024 that there was “no serious risk of genocide occurring.”

Since then, as Amnesty International reports, the situation in Gaza has deteriorated dramatically. On 2 March, Israel launched a new phase of its military campaign, imposing a total siege that has blocked humanitarian aid and fuelled mass starvation. Tens of thousands of civilians, including an unprecedented number of children, have been killed or injured. Entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, and Gaza’s population faces famine and displacement on a devastating scale.

Government response raises legal and ethical alarms

The letter challenges the Government to explain why, despite this worsening crisis, it has not revised its previous conclusion. It calls for the immediate release of:

• The findings of all genocide risk assessments conducted since March 2025
• The criteria, methodology, and evidence used in making those assessments
• The most recent assessment date and outcome
• A clear statement on whether the UK now recognises a serious risk of genocide in Gaza

“If these subsequent assessments have not led you to conclude that there is a serious risk of genocide in Gaza, triggering your obligation to prevent, we must ask how adequate your assessments are,” the letter states.

Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a binding duty to act to prevent where there is a serious risk of genocide. The signatories argue that the government should explain how it has not assessed that threshold as having been met.

F-35 fighter jet exports: a dangerous legal position

The letter also expresses alarm at the Government’s position in Al-Haq v Secretary of State, in which it defended the continued supply of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel. In its legal submission, the Government argued:

“It is entirely unrealistic to suppose… any possibility of genocide would have been altered by any such curtailment on the use of F-35s.”

Parliamentarians state in the letter:

“It appears that the position of the UK government is that it is legitimate to provide weapons to states committing genocide if the assessment is that the impact of doing so would be minor. That is an abhorrent position to hold. If that is not the government’s position, then you must urgently correct the record.”  

Transparency, accountability, and action needed

The letter concludes by demanding full transparency from the Government, both to parliament and the public, regarding its assessments, decision-making, and continued arms exports to Israel.

“Parliament must know the nature of the government’s assessments and recent assessments and their conclusions should be made public. It is imperative that it is explained to the House how your government has failed to recognise the serious risk of genocide based on current evidence.”

The signatories are calling for an immediate response and the full publication of all relevant assessments.

 List of signatories [65 in total]

• Brendan O’Hara MP 
• Chris Law MP 
• Stephen Gethins MP 
• Stephen Flynn MP 
• Dave Doogan MP 
• Kirsty Blackman MP 
• Pete Wishart MP 
• Seamus Logan MP 
• Graham Leadbitter MP 
• The Baroness Mobarik CBE 
• Kit Malthouse MP 
• Kim Johnson MP 
• Yasmin Qureshi MP 
• Ian Byrne MP 
• Andy McDonald MP 
• Richard Burgon MP 
• Imran Hussain MP 
• Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill 
• Nadia Whittome MP 
• Steve Witherden MP 
• Apsana Begum MP 
• Jon Trickett MP 
• Abtisam Mohammed MP 
• Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP 
• Neil Duncan Jordan MP 
• Chris Hinchcliff MP 
• Brian Leishman MP 
• Rachael Maskell MP 
• Clive Lewis MP 
• Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC 
• Grahame Morris MP 
• Ruth Cadbury MP 
• Ben Lake MP 
• Liz Saville Roberts MP 
• Ann Davies MP 
• Llinos Medi MP 
• Alistair Carmichael MP 
• Andrew George MP 
• Angus Macdonald MP 
• Colum Eastwood MP 
• Claire Hanna MP 
• Sorcha Eastwood MP 
• Sian Berry MP 
• Carla Denyer MP 
• Ellie Chowns MP 
• Adrian Ramsay MP 
• Baroness Jenny Jones 
• Baroness Natalie Bennett 
• John Finucane MP 
• Pat Cullen MP 
• Órfhlaith Begley MP 
• Dáire Hughes MP 
• Chris Hazzard MP 
• Cathal Mallaghan MP 
• Paul Maskey MP 
• Shockat Adam MP 
• Adnan Hussain MP 
• Ayoub Khan MP 
• Zarah Sultana MP 
• Iqbal Mohamed MP 
• Rosie Duffield MP 
• Jeremy Corbyn MP 
• Lord Indarjit Singh
• Baroness Gohir
• The Rt Hon the Baroness Warsi