Chief Minister Alfred Cannan has said he ‘does not accept’ claims of failure regarding the Isle of Man Government’s position on the conflict in Gaza.

His comments came in response to a letter from the Isle of Man Green Party, which urged him to ‘make a public statement decrying the death and destruction’ in the region.

The latest escalation in the Israel–Hamas conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing more than 900 Israeli and foreign nationals and taking dozens of hostages. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and widespread destruction. Although a ceasefire is currently in place, the situation remains volatile, and the humanitarian crisis continues to affect civilians in the region.

The Green Party’s open letter, published online in the Isle of Man Examiner on June 17, called on Mr Cannan to write to the UK Ministry of Justice and to speak out in his capacity as Chief Minister. It described his role as ‘fundamentally important’ to the Manx people and said leadership on international matters was required.

The letter stated: ‘Your role is one where leadership and statecraft are both incumbent and salient.

‘As chairperson of the Council of Ministers, you must also take into account the Rule of Law Duty.

‘This duty is buttressed by paragraph 2.3 of the Ministerial Code, which refers to “the overarching duty on Ministers to comply with the law, including international obligations, to uphold the administration of justice and to protect the integrity of public life”.’

It also cited a reported death toll of 53,655 in the conflict as of May 21, 2024.

In a written reply, Mr Cannan said he did not accept that there had been any failure to uphold constitutional principles.

‘The Rule of Law is a matter I and the Council of Ministers treat seriously,’ he said.

‘As you will be aware, as a Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man does not formulate or execute foreign policy.

‘We have no diplomatic service to participate in international forums where disputes might be discussed or resolved, nor do we have armed forces to commit to areas of armed conflict, or to undertake peacekeeping roles.

‘Our constitutional relationship with the UK is such that we rely upon it to execute its own foreign policy on our behalf.’

He also noted that Tynwald had debated the conflict in April 2024 and ‘unanimously expressed condemnation’ of the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

In addition, he referred to a joint statement issued in May 2025 by the leaders of the UK, France and Canada opposing the expansion of Israeli military operations. He said he ‘entirely endorses the statement’s contents’.

Mr Cannan concluded: ‘Naturally, I am deeply concerned at the tragic loss of life that has taken place on all sides of the region.

‘I trust that the UK Government will continue to work with the UN and its international partners to bring an end to the hostilities.’