Congratulations to our SHA delegates for their work on this.
PRESS RELEASE – from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
For immediate Release
Labour votes to acknowledge Israel’s genocide in Gaza
In a historic vote, delegates at Labour Party Conference today voted to accept that Israel is committing a genocide in Palestine and to demand comprehensive sanction the, including a full arms embargo, in line with its obligations under international law. Full text of the motion is below.
The motion came to Conference today after Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) and affiliated trade unions submitted over 30 emergency motions in the past week, forcing the party to allow a vote on the issue. It followed weeks of controversy, after the Labour leadership and Conference Arrangements Committee had previously ruled out of order dozens motions on Palestine submitted in advance of Conference.
The successful vote marks the first time that Labour has adopted a position recognising Israel’s atrocities in Gaza as genocide and committing to concrete action.
The motion, moved by Unison and seconded by ASLEF union, commits Labour to acknowledging and accepting the recent landmark ruling by a UN Commission of Inquiry report, which found that Israel is committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people, stating “United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces have committed the crime of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”[1]
Proposing the motion in Conference this morning, Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea said “it is a genocide. Let’s not play with semantics. Let’s use the word. Most experts now agree it is a genocide, but if we wait around for this to be confirmed by a court, it will be too late because it’s already happening as we sit here.”[2]
Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, including more than 20,000 children; destroyed health and education infrastructure; caused famine by blocking food and aid; and overseen unprecedented accelerated widespread ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
Conference heard from CLP delegates and trade unionists the urgent need to adopt the calls in the motion before voting to support it with a clear majority.
Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said:
“This is a huge defeat for the Government, with the Labour Party finally accepting that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This historic vote must now become Government policy: imposing comprehensive sanctions on Israel and a full arms embargo.
“After almost 2 years of complicity in Israel’s genocide, the movement in solidarity with Palestine is turning the tide. People across this country are standing side-by-side with the Palestinian people demanding their liberation.”
“If the Government tries to ignore this momentous vote, it would not only be in denial of the facts, against public opinion, increasingly globally isolated, but also at war with its own party.”
Maryam Eslamdoust, General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Union (TSSA), said:
“Today the Labour movement stood on the right side of history and in solidarity with the Palestinian people, sending a clear message to the Labour leadership: we will not remain silent on the crime of genocide.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
[1] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds
[2] https://x.com/PSCupdates/status/1972646768568631377
MOTION
Conference notes
- That the Labour government formally recognised the State of Palestine on 21 September.
- The Labour Government took a bold and important step in formally recognising the state of Palestine.
- The recognition of Palestine is a critical contribution towards a two-state solution, with a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.
- On 16 September, the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces have committed the crime of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
- The Commission called on all Member States, including the UK, to “employ all means reasonably available to them to prevent the commission of genocide in the Gaza Strip”.
- Alongside the ongoing genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, the report adds to a growing international consensus finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, which also includes the International Association of Genocide Scholars and Amnesty International.
- The European Commission has proposed the suspension of trade-related provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, in response to repeated violations of international law.
- On 16 September, Israel launched its ground assault on Gaza City.
- Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, including more than 20,000 children; destroyed health and education infrastructure; caused famine by blocking food and aid; and overseen unprecedented accelerated widespread ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
- UN reports confirm mass displacement on a scale not seen since 1967, with more than 40,000 Palestinians uprooted and neighbourhoods destroyed. Hospitals and aid convoys have been obstructed, deepening a growing humanitarian emergency.
- The destruction of health facilities is cited in the report as evidence of Israel’s genocide.
Conference believes: - The path to safety and justice for the Palestinian people begins, but does not end, with recognition of the Palestinian state.
- This UN report must mark a watershed in Britain’s foreign policy.
However, further steps by the government are urgently required to prevent the crime of genocide, and demand a permanent ceasefire, full access to humanitarian assistance, the release of hostages and an end to the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The government must also take action to address the escalating displacement of Palestinian communities, destruction of their homes and property, settler and military attacks and the expansion of illegal settlements and outposts, all of which are contributing to the continued annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Conference accepts the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry and calls on the Labour government to: - Employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza.
- Fully suspend the arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement.
- Ban trade with the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
- Apply comprehensive sanctions to put pressure on the Israeli government to respect international law, including a full arms embargo and ending military cooperation.
- Take coordinated action with European and other allies to end the famine in Gaza by ensuring full access to humanitarian assistance.
- Ensure individuals and corporations in the UK are not involved in aiding and assisting the genocide.