Black takes on Tories over mass graves
MP: Discovery of bodies is evidence of war crimes
THE UK Government has insisted Israel can be trusted not to commit war crimes – despite evidence emerging of mass graves in Gaza. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, filling in for Rishi Sunak who is in Berlin, called Israel’s bombardment of Palestine since October 7 a “legitimate war of self-defence” in the face of mounting concern over its conduct.
SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black said the discovery of more than 300 bodies in a mass grave outside the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis was evidence of Israeli war crimes. Others were found outside the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
Black said the discovery was on a par with the discovery of mass graves in Ukraine in the early days of Russia’s invasion.
She said: “Two years ago, when mass graves were discovered in Ukraine, this house united in condemnation and rightly treated these graves as evidence of war crimes which Russia must be made to answer for.
“Yesterday, Palestinian officials uncovered two mass graves outside the bombed hospitals in Gaza. These graves also constitute as a war crime, don’t they?”
Dowden said: “Well of course we would expect the democratic government of Israel to investigate any allegations of misconduct and that’s exactly what they do and it’s exactly what the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister urge them to do.
“But I find it quite extraordinary that she seeks to draw parallels between the legitimate war of self-defence of Israel and the conduct of Russia.”
Black hit back, pointing to reports that the dead included “the elderly and the injured” and said some had been “stripped naked, mutilated, with their hands tied behind their backs”.
She added: “The UK’s own arms policy states that if there is even a risk that war crimes may be taking place then that is reason enough to halt the sale of arms. Given all we know, why then is the Prime Minister yet to do so?”
Dowden said: “Well we continue to urge the Israeli government to investigate any allegations of misconduct.
“The difference though is that we can trust the Israeli government, a democratically-elected government to properly investigate those things and of course we keep the advice under review.
“The Foreign Secretary has recently made it clear that he has conducted a determination and has not changed his advice regarding export licences and I think that is the correct decision.”
On Twitter, Green MP Caroline Lucas said Dowden’s response was “not good enough”.
She said: “There is serious and credible evidence the Israeli [government] is breaking international law.
“UK [Government] has admitted in court it’s got no response from Israeli [government] to questions it’s asked about it, yet just now at [PMQs] Dowden basically says we just need to trust them? Not good enough.”
Israel has denied allegations it buried people in mass graves, saying instead soldiers had found and examined bodies to check whether any Israeli hostages were among the dead.
The Hamas-run government of Gaza accused Israeli of digging the graves “to hide its crimes” and the UN has said it is investigating claims some of the dead had been bound and stripped.
During PMQs Angela Rayner, who was standing in for Keir Starmer, labelled Sunak a “pint-sized loser” after urging the Conservatives to stop “obsessing” about her living arrangements.
Dowden countered by suggesting the “right honourable landlady” should step down, adding that Rayner might start claiming the House of Commons as her principal residence if the pair were required to deputise again at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Rayner has faced scrutiny about whether she paid the right amount of tax on the 2015 sale of her Stockport council house because of confusion over whether it was her principal residence.