Labour conference backs UN genocide finding on Gaza and arms embargo

Delegates at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Monday voted to accept a United Nations Commission of Inquiry finding that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and backed calls for a full arms embargo and other sanctions. The emergency motion, brought by trade unions and constituency Labour parties and moved by Unison, passed on the second day of the party’s annual conference after days of campaigning by activists and trade unions.

The motion, titled Peace in the Middle East 2, instructs the party to recognise the Commission of Inquiry’s conclusions and commits a future Labour government to “use all means reasonably available” to prevent further genocidal acts in Gaza. It also calls for suspension of the arms trade with Israel, freezing the UK‑Israel trade and partnership agreement, and measures to ensure UK businesses are not complicit in violations of international law. Supporters greeted the vote with cheers and applause, while pro‑Palestine groups held marches and demonstrations in Liverpool during the conference.

The vote follows publication in mid‑September of the UN Commission report, which found reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five acts defined...