The letter was sent by Deputy de Sausmarez on behalf of the Policy & Resources Committee and members of the Government of Guernsey, following a request from a dozen deputies, led by David Dorrity, to call for ‘justice, peace and decisive action’.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has continued to worsen – as recognised by the UK government and others – the Policy & Resources Committee agreed at a meeting on Monday that the States should express its concern about the humanitarian situation, alongside the numerous other humanitarian crises in the world right now.
It also highlighted that Guernsey remains steadfast it its support for international law being upheld.
P&R published the letter yesterday, and added that it continued to follow the centuries-old constitutional relationship with the British Crown whereby it, or the government, is responsible for the island’s formal international relations and defence matters.
‘Therefore, it is not appropriate for the States of Guernsey to make any statement which contradicts UK foreign policy. That is a long-standing principle which the Policy & Resources Committee will continue to follow,’ P&R said.
The government of Jersey surprised many with a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last week, where Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham expressed ‘grave distress’ at the scale of civilian loss of life and criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza, including calling for an investigation into the alleged deliberate targeting of civilians.
Deputy Dorrity could not be contacted for comment.
The text of Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez’s letter to the UK Prime Minister over the ongoing situation in Gaza:
Dear Sir Keir,
Last week you described the suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza as unspeakable and indefensible and set out that you were discussing with international partners what can be done urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need.
Parliamentarians in Guernsey, as well as members of the community, have expressed support for the recent joint statement from the UK and dozens of international partners, which calls for the war in Gaza to end immediately.
Members of the Government of Guernsey are profoundly concerned by the deaths and suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza, including through the destruction of critical infrastructure and restricted distribution of humanitarian aid. Further, the members are deeply moved by the plight of people of all ages who are caught up in any conflict. The members hope that the global community soon finds and implements effective ways to protect civilians, alleviate human suffering and secure lasting peace.
The Government of Guernsey stands steadfast with the UK in its unwavering support for upholding international law which goes to the heart of the UK’s foreign policy.
Yours sincerely
Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, Chief Minister
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.