Labour delegates at the party’s conference in Liverpool have backed a motion urging the government to “employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of a genocide in Gaza”.

The non-binding motion also called for a full suspension of the arms trade with Israel.

Another motion called on the government to suspend the sale of arms to Israel “that could be used in the conflict” rather than a full suspension, but that was rejected by delegates.

Responding to the vote, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said it was for the International Court of Justice and for the International Criminal Court “to determine the issue of genocide”.

The UN commission of inquiry has said that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli government strongly rejected the report.

Ahead of the vote, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the conference that “Hamas must end its abhorrent detention of hostages” and the Israeli government “must end the moral obscenity of this campaign that has seen food, water and medicine denied”.

Cooper, who was appointed to the role earlier this month, also said the UK’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood should be a “spur, not a substitute for action”.

“No family should endure another loss. Enough is enough. This moment cannot be lost. The time for peace is now,” she said.

During Labour’s conference, delegates tabled two emergency motions on the Middle East for debate.

The first motion urged the government to “apply further sanctions to put pressure on the Israeli government to respect international law” and “continue to demand the immediate release of all hostages” held by Hamas.

It also said the government should “fully suspend arms trade with Israel that could be used in the conflict”.

In contrast, the second motion called on ministers to “fully suspend the arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement”.

Joshua Garfield, a member of Jewish Labour Movement and a Labour councillor, urged delegates to vote against the second motion, arguing it would “dishonour” the 7 October victims “if we pass a motion that ignores Hamas entirely”.

Backing the second motion, Marz Colombini from the trade union Aslef, said a ban on arms sales was “a no brainer”.

He said it would be “perverse to provide anybody, whether an individual or a state with weaponry, then get upset when they use it to do harm”.

The second motion also accepted a report by the United Nations commission of inquiry which said Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel’s foreign ministry denounced the report as “distorted and false”.

By a show of hands, Labour conference delegates rejected the first motion in favour of the second.

Lammy, who was until recently the UK’s foreign secretary, responded to the vote.

He said it was “for the ICJ [International Court of Justice] with their judges and judiciary, and for the ICC [International Criminal Court], to determine the issue of genocide in relation to the convention, it is not for politicians like me to do that”.

He said that last year he had decided “that I did see a clear risk that Israel was breaching international humanitarian law” and had suspended arms sales to Israel.

The UK government is not one of Israel’s main arms suppliers and has said it represents 1% of arms sales to Israel. The US is the main supplier, followed by Germany and Italy.

British companies wanting to export military goods have to apply for a licence from the government.

After it came to power, Labour suspended 30 out of around 350 arms export licences to Israel, saying there was a “clear risk” the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international law.

However, campaigners have criticised the continued exporting of parts for F-35 jets and took unsuccessful legal action to stop the sales.

The government has said it has banned the direct sale of F-35s to Israel but can not prevent Israel obtaining these components as they are sent to manufacturing centres abroad as part of a global programme.

Earlier in the day, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech had been interrupted by a pro-Palestinian heckler who held up a Palestinian flag and said: “Why is Britain still arming Israel?”

As the protester was removed from the hall, Reeves said: “We understand your cause and we are recognising a Palestinian state.

“But we are now a party in government, not a party of protest.”

The conference has also been targeted by supporters, backing Palestine Action, which the government has labelled as a terrorist organisation.

Sixty-four were arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offence during a demonstration outside the conference venue on Sunday afternoon.

In their latest update, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the current death toll has risen to 66,055 since 7 October, 2023.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

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