Alderney States criticised for its Gaza statement

Alderney's States endorsed the message from Guernsey's government on Gaza

The States of Alderney is facing criticism from one of its politicians after issuing a statement on the Israel-Gaza war.

On Thursday, it said it endorsed the "compassionate" message from Guernsey's chief minister, which urged the UK to condemn the "suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza".

Alderney States Member Iain MacFarlane, one of the island's 10 politicians, said he "did not support the statement" from the States of Alderney.

He said: "Issuing statements on highly complex geopolitical matters risks appearing performative and politically selective."

The statement said: "The States of Alderney endorse the compassionate message from the government of Guernsey in highlighting the humanitarian situation in Gaza alongside the numerous other humanitarian crises in the world, and the commitment to upholding the principles of International Law."

Last week, Jersey's Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham called for the "immediate cessation of violence against civilians and the release of all hostages" in a letter to the UK government.

It led to pressure from 17 Guernsey deputies for the States of Guernsey to take similar action.

'Other ongoing disasters'

Despite criticism from MacFarlane, some politicians, including Steve Roberts and representative in Guernsey's States, Alex Snowdon, have endorsed the move by Alderney's States.

MacFarlane said: "I did not support the publication of this statement. As a local government with no foreign policy role, Alderney has no mandate or influence over international affairs.

"What concerns me most is that this particular conflict was singled out, seemingly following Guernsey's lead, while other ongoing humanitarian disasters in Sudan, Yemen, Congo and elsewhere receive no such recognition."

He added: "That inconsistency sends the wrong message, and undermines any sense of neutrality or principle."

He stressed that the island's 10 politicians and the government itself should focus on the matters immediately impacting residents.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday that 91 people have been killed while seeking aid in the past day and two people had died of malnutrition.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had continued a "series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip" and that "over the past few hours, 43 aid packages, containing food for the residents of both the southern and northern Gaza Strip, were airdropped".

It again denied "false claims of deliberate starvation in Gaza".

It comes as US President Donald Trump says Canada's move to recognise a Palestinian state, following similar plans by the UK and France, threatens a US-Canada trade deal, with Israel's foreign ministry calling it "a reward for Hamas".