Lammy has now officially retracted his Monday claim that Israel has breached international law. Back then, he declared:
“This is a breach of international law. Israel quite rightly must defend its own security. But we find the lack of aid – it’s now been 15 days since aid got into Gaza – unacceptable, hugely alarming and very worrying.”
Downing Street swiftly slapped him down, repeating that both Number 10 and the FDCO’s official stance was merely that there was a “risk” of a breach. Now, Lammy has revised his statement in the Commons:
“As I told the House on Monday, this is appalling and unacceptable. Ultimately, of course, these are matters for the courts not governments to determine, but it’s difficult to see how denying humanitarian assistance to a civilian population can be compatible with international humanitarian law. Though it’s important to say I could have been a little clearer in the House on Monday, our position remains that Israel’s actions in Gaza are a clear risk of breaching international humanitarian law.”
For a man who so often boasts about his legal expertise, you’d think he’d get these things right…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”