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Downing Street has rejected David Lammy’s assessment that Israel has broken international law by blocking aid to Gaza, in a rare public censure for the foreign secretary.
A spokesperson for the prime minister said on Tuesday morning Israel was “at risk” of breaching humanitarian law, despite Lammy having told the Commons on Monday that the country had definitely done so.
The remarks, hours after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Gaza, mark a climbdown after Lammy appeared to have changed the government’s position on one of the most sensitive foreign policy questions it faces.
Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “Our position remains that Israel’s actions in Gaza are at clear risk of breaching international humanitarian law, and we continue to call the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations.”
They added: “The government is not an international court, and, therefore, it is up to courts to make judgments.”
Asked whether the foreign secretary had mistakenly gone further than official government policy, the spokesperson said: “I’d refer to the Foreign Office on that, but there’s no change in policy here.”
Asked whether Lammy should apologise, they added: “I’ll leave that to the Foreign Office.”
The public rebuke came less than 24 hours after Lammy told the Commons he believed Israel’s actions broke international law – a key test for whether the UK can continue to sell weapons to the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has stopped food, fuel and medicine from entering Gaza in an effort to put pressure on Hamas during peace talks. Doctors in Gaza say hospitals are struggling to treat people injured in Monday night’s air attack as a result.
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Gaza’s health ministry says more than 400 people have died after overnight missile attacks, which ended the two-month-old ceasefire and targeted several parts of Gaza.
Asked about the aid blockade, Lammy said on Monday: “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.
“We would urge Israel to get back to the amount of trucks we were seeing – way beyond 600 – so Palestinians can get the necessary humanitarian support that they need at this time.”
Netanyahu is already facing the threat of arrest should he travel to the UK, with Lammy having previously said the British government would act on an arrest warrant issued last November by the international criminal court.
Despite that arrest warrant, the government continues to sell some weapons to Israel, including engine parts for F-35 jets.
Starmer’s backing for Israel has caused upset among Labour MPs in the past, with many still upset about an interview he did in 2023 when he suggested the Israeli prime minister had the right to withhold power and water from Gaza.
