UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has privately described Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip as war crimes, according to WhatsApp messages he released this week, marking one of the most senior criticisms of Israel by a British government minister.
In messages exchanged with veteran Labour figure Peter Mandelson, Streeting wrote that "Israel is committing war crimes before our eyes".
"Their government talks the language of ethnic cleansing, and I have met with our own medics out there who describe the most chilling and distressing scenes of calculated brutality against women and children," he said.
Streeting, who has served as health secretary since 2024, released the messages himself in an attempt to dispel speculation about the nature of his relationship with Mandelson, who has faced longstanding criticism over his past links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In further messages, Streeting described Israel as behaving like a "rogue state" and said it should "pay the price as pariahs, with sanctions applied to the state, not just a few ministers".
He also warned that the Labour Party "needs to lead the charge on this", or risk "enormous damage" to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the government, and the party itself.
The exchanges are believed to have taken place after Streeting asked Mandelson for his views on whether the UK should recognise a Palestinian state.
Following the release of the messages, Streeting told Sky News that he had informed Home Secretary Yvette Cooper of his comments.
"I have made [her] aware of what I’ve said about Palestine, Gaza, and the conduct of the Israeli government," he said. "I hope that doesn’t cause colleagues difficulty because I have always been a team player."
Responding to Streeting's remarks, Amnesty International UK said the comments reflected the reality on the ground.
"Wes Streeting was right to say Israel is committing war crimes against Palestinians," said Krystian Benedict, Amnesty UK's crisis response manager. "What is damning is that the prime minister and his government have continued business as usual despite overwhelming evidence from the UN and human rights organisations of war crimes and genocide."
Benedict added that more than 21,000 children have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, citing figures from UNICEF, including dozens killed after the announcement of a so-called ceasefire.
Streeting has previously criticised Israeli policies, including in September last year when he described Israel’s actions as "shameful but not surprising" after two medically trained British MPs were denied entry to the occupied West Bank.
In 2018, he also called for economic sanctions on Israeli settlements, citing Israel’s "gross infringement" of Palestinian human rights.
However, his position has drawn scrutiny due to his support for Labour Friends of Israel, from which he has received donations. He has also accepted funding from prominent pro-Israel donors Sir Trevor Chinn and David Menton.
In 2022, Streeting visited Israel, where he met health officials, politicians, academics, diplomats, and health technology firms, and attended the BioMed Israel conference.
He has also declared support for Labour Friends of Palestine.
Labour’s approach to Israel’s war on Gaza, which Palestinian officials say has killed more than 72,000 people since October 2023, has faced sustained criticism from pro-Palestinian activists in the UK.
While the British government initially avoided strong condemnation and maintained military cooperation with Israel, it later announced the suspension of some arms export licenses.
Pressure has since intensified following warnings of mass starvation in Gaza and mounting evidence of civilian harm.