UK Health Secretary on Israel: "War crimes before our eyes"

LONDON - British Health Secretary Wes Streeting privately accused Israel of "committing war crimes before our eyes" and endorsed sanctions against the state in text messages sent in July 2025, in a stunning revelation.

The explosive comments were made in a series of exchanges with the then-UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, and were released by Streeting himself on Monday. 

The text messages, dating from August 2024 to October 2025, were made public in an apparent attempt by Streeting to distance himself from Lord Mandelson, who recently resigned from the Labour Party over his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

However, the content of the messages has ignited a political firestorm, exposing a stark contrast between the Health Secretary's private views and the official stance of the Keir Starmer government.

In one particularly damning message from July 2025, Streeting wrote to Mandelson: "Morally, because Israel is committing war crimes before our eyes… scenes of calculated brutality against women and children." 

He went on to describe Israel as a "rogue state" and advocated for punitive measures, stating, "Let them pay the price as pariahs with sanctions applied to the state, not just a few ministers." 

These private declarations stand in sharp contrast to the government's public position, which has consistently refrained from accusing Israel of committing war crimes. The Labour government did sanction two far-right Israeli ministers in June 2025 but has resisted calls for broader sanctions against the state of Israel itself.

The text exchanges also shed light on Streeting's thinking regarding the recognition of a Palestinian state, a move the UK government eventually made in September 2025. 

 In his messages to Mandelson, Streeting argued for the recognition of Palestine on both moral and political grounds, warning that failing to do so would lead to resignations and a party conference "dominated" by the issue. 

Beyond the explosive comments on Israel, the texts reveal Streeting's anxieties about his own political future, fearing he could be "toast at the next election" in his Ilford North constituency. He also expressed frustration with the government's direction, lamenting the lack of a "clear answer to the question: why Labour?" and agreeing with Mandelson's assessment that the government "doesn't have an economic philosophy." 

The release of these private and candid exchanges has created a significant political headache for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with Streeting's comments on Israel likely to cause considerable embarrassment and diplomatic strain. 

While Streeting has stated he has not spoken to Mandelson in six months and released the messages for transparency, the revelations have opened up a new and damaging front for a government already facing numerous challenges.