Ministers not backing rule of law on Gaza - Plaid

The Welsh government is going against the rule of law by refusing to criticise President Trump's proposed US takeover of Gaza and the removal of the Palestinians to neighbouring countries, Plaid Cymru has said.

In a debate led by the party, Plaid Senedd member Sioned Williams rebuked Labour ministers for opposing part of its motion condemning Trump's plans as "ethnic cleansing", which the United Nations has said the policy amounts to.

"The despicable proposals are in clear contravention of international law," she said.

The Labour government's Jane Hutt reminded Senedd members ministers in Cardiff have no powers over foreign affairs.

Williams, MS for South Wales West, told the Welsh Parliament: "You cannot support the rule of law if you're not willing to condemn Trump's proposals to depopulate Gaza as ethnic cleansing, because the despicable proposals are in clear contravention of international law."

A total of 73 hostages are currently being held in Gaza - a mixture of Israeli soldiers and civilians both dead and alive. This also includes Thai and Nepalese nationals.

Some 251 hostages were taken by Hamas when it attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people.

Israel responded with a 15-month military offensive that killed 47,460 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, and devastated the coastal enclave.

In the Senedd, on Wednesday, Williams called the Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens "horrific", and the response an "illegal and barbaric collective punishment by the Israeli government of the Palestinian people in Gaza".

Williams also accused the Welsh government of sending an "unfortunate message to communities in Wales with links to the Palestinians of Gaza" in its donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Middle East appeal.

"The total is now £200,000 - you gave £4m to the DEC appeal for Ukraine," she said, urging ministers to "commit further humanitarian support for Gaza".

For the Welsh government, Social Justice Secretary Jane Hutt reminded Senedd members ministers in Cardiff had no powers over foreign affairs, with responsibility for those matters lying at Westminster.

She confirmed Welsh ministers had provided £200,000 of aid for the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza and were looking at what further financial help they could give.

She said the Welsh government hoped that the current ceasefire would hold, with all hostages taken by Hamas from Israel returned, and she paid tribute to the Brisley family in Bridgend, who had three family members killed in the Hamas attack.

Preseli Pembrokeshire MS and ex-Conservative Senedd leader Paul Davies condemned the "devastating loss of human life in this conflict" and supported "efforts to ensure that humanitarian aid is urgently provided to those in need".

His party wanted "the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and a two state solution", providing Israelis and Palestinians with a home "to achieve lasting peace in the region", he added.

Former Labour minister and Newport East MS John Griffiths said Israel's actions in Gaza were on a "level of inhumanity that we haven't seen elsewhere in recent times".

He called for an "international campaign" of sanctions against Israel.

"What we really need is that international coming together around that programme of, as I say, boycotts, disinvestments and sanctions that could really make a difference."

"It's made a difference in what's seemed unsolvable international situations before and it can make a difference in the Middle East as well."