Kemi Badenoch, the UK Conservative Party leader, has said Israel is “fighting a proxy war on behalf” of the British government and has not committed genocide in Gaza.

“It is not a genocide, as people are saying,” said Ms Badenoch in an interview with Sky News.

The Tory leader defended Israel’s war in Gaza, describing it as one against the enemy of the UK.

“Who funds Hamas? Iran, an enemy of this country,” Ms Badenoch said. “Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the UK, just like Ukraine is on behalf of Western Europe against Russia. We have to get serious!”

Asked whether she was “equating” Israel’s war in Gaza to the Ukraine-Russia war, Ms Badenoch said she could not “police” how Israel goes about the war in Gaza.

Ms Badenoch stated, “Israel is fighting a war. It is not for me to police exactly how they are doing that.”

However, Ayoub Khan, a British lawmaker, in an interview with Middle East Eye, said Ms Badenoch’s comments “reflect a disturbing pattern among certain politicians who, instead of advocating for truth and justice, choose to misrepresent reality and gaslight the public while innocent people” continue to suffer.

“Badenoch is not offering thoughtful diplomacy; she is parroting the rhetoric of Israel’s far-right government led by Netanyahu — the same Netanyahu the International Criminal Court has requested an arrest warrant for on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Mr Khan added.