RISHI Sunak has declined to say why the UK failed to join international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza from nations including France, Ireland, and Canada.
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn used his time at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday to challenge the UK Government over its stance on Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
He began: “Can the Prime Minister please share his Christmas message for children being bombed in Gaza this winter?”
Responding, the Tory Prime Minister said: “Nobody wants to see this conflict go on for a moment longer than necessary. We urgently need more humanitarian forces to get all the hostages out and to get life-saving aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
“We have been consistent that we support what is a sustainable ceasefire, which means Hamas must stop launching rockets into Israel and release all the hostages.”
Flynn then pressed Sunak on the results of a UN General Assembly vote on Tuesday evening. A total of 153 nations backed a motion calling for a ceasefire while 23 abstained and 10 voted against.
The UK was among the abstentions, as were Germany and Italy. The United States and Israel were joined in opposing the resolution by Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay.
The 153 countries to back calls for a ceasefire included Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Spain, and Japan.
BREAKING: UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, as well as immediate and unconditional release of all hostages FOR: 153 AGAINST: 10 ABSTAIN: 23 LIVE COVERAGEhttps://t.co/ZqtRtIawGx pic.twitter.com/rAdk8BEmDL
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) December 12, 2023
Flynn said: “If the current actions of the Israeli government continue then it is estimated that almost 1400 more children will die between now and Christmas Day.
“Now, in the United Nations last night our friends and allies in France, in Ireland, in Canada, in Spain and in Australia, they joined with 148 other nations to vote with courage, care and compassion for a ceasefire. The UK, they shamefully abstained.
“How can the Prime Minister possibly explain why 153 nations are wrong yet Westminster is right?”
In his response, Sunak did not address the UN vote.
The Prime Minister said: “As I've said consistently, we're deeply concerned about the devastating impact of the fighting in Gaza on the civilian population. Too many people have lost their lives already and this is something that we've stressed and I've stressed personally to [Israel’s prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu just last week.
“What we are doing, practically, is to get more aid into Gaza. The Foreign Secretary is appointing a UK humanitarian coordinator. And in my conversations last week with prime minister Netanyahu, I pressed him on opening up the Kerem Shalom crossing so that more aid can flow in.
“We are actively exploring the opportunity for maritime corridors, something that the UK is well placed to lead, and I can give him my assurance that we will work night and day to get more aid to those who desperately need it.”
Ahead of the UN vote, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu was warned by US president Joe Biden that his nation’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza was losing them international support.
Biden (below) said that when he warned Netanyahu, the Israeli leader mentioned that the US had “carpet-bombed Germany” in the Second World War and dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.
“That’s why all these institutions were set up after World War II, to see that it didn’t happen again,” the US president said.
“Don’t make the same mistakes we made in 9/11. There’s no reason we had to be in a war in Afghanistan. There’s no reason we had to do so many things that we did.”
Elsewhere at PMQs, Labour leader Keir Starmer challenged Tory MPs to identify themselves as those who were reported to have anonymously criticised Rishi Sunak in the press.
“He can spin it all he likes but the whole country can see that yet again the Tory party is in meltdown and everyone else is paying the price,” Starmer said.
“Now, he’s kicked the can down the road but in the last week his MPs have said of him: he’s not capable enough, he’s inexperienced, he’s arrogant, a really bad politician.”
“Well, they are shouting,” he said referring to the Tory benches, “but this is what they said. Come on, come on. Who was it who said he’s a really bad politician? Hands up.
“What about inexperienced? Who was that? Or, and now there has got to be some hand for this, ‘he’s got to go’? Shy.
“Apparently he’s holding a Christmas party next week … how’s the invite list looking?”
Sunak said Starmer had been engaging in “political tittle tattle”. He also responded: “He should hear what they have to say about him.”
Sunak managed to overcome significant unrest within his own party in a crunch vote in the Commons on Tuesday on his flagship Rwanda bill.
The legislation is aimed at circumventing a ruling from the UK Supreme Court that Rwanda is not a safe country to which to deport asylum seekers.
Despite its extremist measures which include forcing judges to consider Rwanda safe and giving ministers to disapply parts of the Human Rights Act, some Tory MPs on the right of the party claim it does not go far enough.
