A Plaid Cymru Senedd Member has expressed his disappointment at the Labour Government in Wales for dodging his question about their responsibilities with regard to the war in Gaza.

Peredur Owen Griffiths used a First Minister’s Question to ask what due diligence the government had carried to ensure they were not, by proxy, aiding and abetting human rights breaches in the Middle East.

The South Wales East MS said it was “bitterly disappointing” that the Labour First Minister did not address his question.

In the Senedd, Peredur said: “Last Friday I took part in a panel event at the Norwegian church organised by Oxfam. During the event we heard from Bushra Khalidi, policy lead at Oxfam for the occupied Palestine territories, who gave a harrowing account of life in the West Bank.

“We know these things are much, much worse in Gaza, where most of the territory has been levelled, with untold fatalities still left in the rubble.

“This has been ongoing now for over a year, First Minister, and there's no sign of a let-up, or if anything it's getting worse.

“For the sake of the people of Palestine, and Welsh citizens with families still affected, have you done everything in your power to bring pressure to bear to end this conflict and deliver peace?

“For example, are you satisfied that your Government is complying with international standards on businesses and human rights?

“Have you examined whether your Government or your affiliates have provided support or funding to arms manufacturers?

“And are you confident that companies who have contracts with the Government are conducting rigorous human rights due diligence?”

In response, the Eluned Morgan expressed sympathy with the people of Gaza and urged people to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.

Afterwards, Peredur said: “This was a bitterly disappointing response from the First Minister. It was a complete non-answer.

“Either she does not know the extent of her government’s involvement in supplying or supporting Israel and didn’t want to admit that or she has deliberately dodged the question.

“Either way, it is not a good look. The Labour Government in Wales – if it has not done so already – should urgently review its connections with companies supplying the Israeli armed forces to ensure it is not supporting the conflict in the Middle East.

“Tens of thousands of people have already died in this conflict, many of them have been women and children.

“If more government-backed Western companies withdrew their support for sustaining the conflict in the Middle East and governments put more diplomatic pressure on Israel to cease hostilities, there would be a much better chance of achieving peace and security for everybody in the region.”

If you want to support Plaid Cymru and Peredur, please click this link.