Members of Israeli government have ‘genocidal intent’, says UK minister

Members of the Israeli government have “genocidal intent” in Gaza, a newly-appointed UK minister has said.

Dr Zubir Ahmed – the MP for Glasgow South West – was appointed as a health minister in the Prime Minister’s re-shuffle brought about by the resignation of Angela Rayner earlier this month.

The UK Government has been reticent to describe the crisis in Gaza as a “genocide”, despite activist calls and Scottish First Minister John Swinney taking such a step.

Speaking to Holyrood magazine in an interview conducted days before he was appointed as a minister, Dr Ahmed said: “The arc of this, even in the last couple of months, has gone into places that are unconscionable, horrendous and really are, you know, things I thought I would never see in a so-called western democracy.

“We have members of that government [Israel] who certainly have genocidal intent – members of that government indicted by the International Criminal Court. It’s an unprecedented diplomatic position to be in.”

Dr Ahmed – a well-respected surgeon – said he would have been in Gaza with the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians the day before the election last year had the Rafah crossing in the south of the territory not been closed two weeks before.

The MP added that he felt “relatively powerless” about the situation in Gaza.

“There’s not a singular military solution that the British Government can enact to stop this and that is a really, really painful thing to say, to be in the place of power like we are right now and to tell you that I am relatively powerless in this conflict,” he said.

“That does not mean I’m not responsible.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t have any agency and I don’t need to strive to make a difference, but to tell you that I feel relatively powerless in the place of power in the UK is painful.”

The UK Government has been contacted for comment.