The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has accused British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of facilitating Israel’s actions in Gaza, which she describes as genocide. In a recent interview with Middle East Eye’s Expert Witness podcast, Albanese highlighted the findings of her report, ‘Gaza Genocide: A Collective Crime,’ presented to the UN General Assembly last month. The report implicates 63 states, including the UK, in enabling Israeli violations of international law. It specifically criticizes the UK for conducting over 600 surveillance missions over Gaza, sharing intelligence with Israel, and aligning these operations with major Israeli military actions. Albanese also pointed to the UK’s historical threats to defund the International Criminal Court (ICC) under the previous Conservative government, as revealed by Middle East Eye in June 2024. She argued that Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, has used his legal expertise to dismiss allegations of genocide in Gaza, contradicting the ICJ’s recognition of potential irreparable harm to Palestinians. Albanese further condemned the Labour government’s crackdown on civil society and activists opposing the genocide, including the recent designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. She called for domestic and international judicial proceedings against UK officials, emphasizing the need for accountability.
Francesca Albanese says Starmer helped ‘manufacture’ consensus for Israeli genocide
