JERSEY has elevated its official criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza with the Chief Minister voicing his “grave distress” at the scale of death and destruction, and calling for an investigation into the alleged deliberate targeting of civilians.
Deputy Lyndon Farnham has written a letter to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy aligning the Island to the UK’s own increasing condemnation of Israel’s actions in the occupied territory.
On Monday, the UK – to which Jersey defers to when it comes to foreign policy – signed a statement with 24 other countries, including EU nations, Australia and Japan, calling for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted access to aid agencies.
In the letter, Deputy Farnham wrote: “We are gravely distressed by the scale of civilian loss of life in Gaza, including the deaths of thousands of children and the extensive displacement and suffering of the civilian population.
“The destruction of critical infrastructure including hospitals, schools, water supplies and homes further compounds what is already a profound human tragedy.”
We are gravely distressed by the scale of civilian loss of life in Gaza, including the deaths of thousands of children
Chief Minister Lyndon farnham
He added: “Recent reports, including from Amnesty International, have raised serious and credible concerns that aspects of Israel’s actions in Gaza may be in breach of obligations under the Genocide Convention.
“These include allegations of the deliberate targeting of civilians, the infliction of severe physical and psychological harm, and the creation of conditions that jeopardise the survival of the Palestinian population.
“These allegations require thorough and independent investigation, they demand urgent international attention and a clear response grounded in international humanitarian and legal responsibility”
Deputy Farnham said that Jersey Overseas Aid continued to work with “trusted international partners to assess how best we can support those affected, both now and in the long term”.
So far, JOA has given £1.3m to four agencies working in Gaza. These are:
- International Health Partners – Since the start of the conflict in October 2023, IHP has delivered 17 shipments of essential medicines and medical supplies to Gaza and the West Bank, serving a total of over 842,000 patients.
- UN World Food Programme – Specifically, JOA supports WFP in providing supplementary feeding to pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and children aged 6-59 months.
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund – The fund’s key areas of support includes providing shelter, food, health, protection and cash assistance.
- Medical Aid for Palestinians – The organisation aims to improve the wellbeing of people with disabilities in Gaza by providing essential ‘assistive devices’ and also providing health workers in the West Bank with pre-hospital emergency bags to treat trauma patients.
