LIVERPOOL, UK – In a significant rebellion against its own leadership, the UK's governing Labour Party has voted to formally declare that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and should face comprehensive sanctions and a full arms embargo.

The emergency motion, passed by party delegates at Labour's annual conference on Monday, marks a historic break from the official position of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government and signals deep discontent within the party's rank-and-file.

The motion commits the party conference to accepting the findings of a United Nations Commission of Inquiry report from September 16, which concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. It calls on the Labour government to "employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide," including applying sanctions and ensuring UK individuals and corporations are not "aiding and assisting" the actions.

"This is a huge defeat for the [party] leadership, with the Labour Party finally accepting that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza," Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said Monday. "This historic vote must now become government policy."

The vote represents a direct challenge to Starmer, who has resisted calls to use the term genocide, instead emphasizing Israel's right to self-defense while urging adherence to international law. The government's position was underscored last week when it recognized a Palestinian state but stopped short of accusing Israel of genocide.

The motion's passage was hailed by trade unions and Palestinian advocacy groups. Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), stated, "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."

Sara Husseini, Director of the British Palestinian Committee, echoed the call for a policy shift, urging the leadership to "end the UK's complicity."

The vote followed internal division, with delegates defeating a separate, more moderate motion on Sunday that had backing from ministers and only acknowledged a "risk of genocide," a phrasing that diverges from the UN report's definitive conclusions.

The rebellion is not without precedent but highlights a growing gap between the party base and its leadership. Recent polling suggests 72% of those who voted for Labour in the 2024 election support a full arms embargo on Israel.

The UK government has taken some steps to distance itself from Israel, including a limited suspension of some arms export licenses and a recent ban on Israeli officials from a major UK arms fair. However, it has exempted key licenses, such as those for F-35 fighter jet parts used in Gaza.

The diplomatic relationship has been strained, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state as "rewarding Hamas." Despite this, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Starmer in London last week, later describing the British leader as an "ally."

The conference vote, while not binding on government policy, piles political pressure on Starmer, demonstrating that his party's activists are demanding a far more confrontational approach toward Israel. 

Monday's vote was reminiscent of the UK Labour Party's 2021 conference which passed a motion condemning Israel for committing the crime of apartheid and causing an ongoing Nakba in Palestine. The motion called for an end to Israel's occupation of the West Bank, the blockade of Gaza, and the separation barrier. It further demanded Israel respect the right of the Palestinian people, as enshrined in international law, to return to their homes. That vote came nearly two years before the horrific October 7 2023 attacks, which triggered what the Labour Party on Monday designated a genocide.

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