UK Foreign Office withholds 2024 report evaluating genocide risk in Gaza

UK Foreign Office withholds 2024 report evaluating genocide risk in Gaza

The UK Foreign Office has not released its June 2024 internal assessment that reportedly concluded Israel posed no serious risk of committing genocide in Gaza, nor has it confirmed whether a more recent evaluation has been conducted.  

Amnesty International submitted a Freedom of Information request in June to access the assessment, but the government failed to respond within the legally mandated one-month window. Amnesty subsequently filed a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office and requested clarification on whether the UK had reassessed Israel’s compliance with international law, including the risk of genocide.  

Legal experts and two prominent Israeli human rights organizations have recently argued that Israel is exhibiting genocidal intent in Gaza. However, the matter remains unresolved and is currently under review by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). On Friday, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey described Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza City and forcibly relocate tens of thousands of Palestinians as ethnic cleansing.  

The government has faced criticism for presenting conflicting positions: telling Parliament that only international courts can determine genocide, while simultaneously informing domestic courts—during a case brought by the human rights group Al Haq—that Foreign Office officials had reviewed Israel’s conduct and found no serious risk of genocide.  

Portions of the 2024 assessment were disclosed in court via witness statements. According to those excerpts, officials found “no evidence” that Israel was intentionally targeting civilian women or children and noted efforts to minimize collateral harm. They also stated there was no indication of a strategic military directive akin to the Srebrenica massacre, which the ICJ previously ruled as genocide.  

Nonetheless, the basis of the 2024 assessment appears outdated. It concluded that Israel’s actions did not reflect a pattern of deliberate attacks on civilians or civilian infrastructure. The ratio of military to civilian casualties was deemed consistent with urban warfare norms, and the report cited Hamas’s use of human shields as a complicating factor. Overall, the Foreign Office characterized Israel’s conduct as a legitimate military campaign in a densely populated conflict zone. While ministers acknowledged violations of international humanitarian law, they maintained that these breaches did not amount to genocide.  

In May, over 60 Members of Parliament signed a letter urging the Foreign Office to publish any updated genocide assessments. Amnesty’s Kristyan Benedict said the government’s silence raises concerns that a new evaluation may exist—and that its findings could differ from the 2024 conclusion that Israel posed no serious risk of committing genocide.