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Gaza 2025-03-04
04 March 2025
Lead MP
Ellie Chowns
Debate Type
Urgent Question
Tags
Foreign Affairs
Other Contributors: 34
At a Glance
Ellie Chowns raised concerns about gaza 2025-03-04 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm the concerns over Israel blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, and provide assurances that the UK will condemn and take action against such violations of international humanitarian law? Does the Minister agree with statements by Oxfam and the UN regarding these acts as collective punishment?
Ellie Chowns
Green
North Herefordshire
Question
The Israeli Government has announced the 'hell plan', blocking aid and cutting off essential supplies as Ramadan begins. Does the Minister agree this violates international humanitarian law, and have UK officials condemned these actions? What specific steps will be taken against Israel if it continues to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip?
Minister reply
Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool. The UK Government has been in touch with interlocutors to make this point clear. We are working closely with partners like the US to push for a solution that adheres to international humanitarian law.
Emily Thornberry
Lab
Islington South and Finsbury
Question
The far-right Government in Israel may lack a long-term plan for Gaza, but has a clear one for annexing the West Bank. What is the UK's plan B to stop this annexation? How will the international community prevent it from happening?
Minister reply
The UK continues to take a tough position on militant factions and groups attacking Palestinians in the occupied territories. We are looking at measures available to get our message across not just through words, but also actions.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
Question
What role is the UK playing in helping to secure an agreement on phase 2 of the ceasefire? What discussions have been had with America, Israel, and other regional players? How are they working to unblock the situation for aid access?
Minister reply
The UK continues to speak closely with the US and regional partners like Steve Witkoff to push for practical solutions. We undertake to contact the Red Cross to reiterate that this House wants aid to re-enter Gaza, to save lives.
Calum Miller
LD
Bicester and Woodstock
Question
What practical steps are the Government taking to ensure that humanitarian aid enters Gaza, given its importance for the lives of Gazans?
Minister reply
We are in daily contact with the region and our mission there to push for a just solution. We welcome the release of hostages but stress the need for further action on aid delivery.
Alex Ballinger
Lab
Halesowen
Question
What steps is the UK taking to prevent the erosion of Palestinian land in the West Bank, which threatens the two-state solution?
Minister reply
We condemn violence by extremist Israeli settlers and support efforts to uphold international humanitarian law. We are working with both sides to promote a peaceful resolution.
Brendan O’Hara
SNP
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Question
Does the Minister consider the blockade of Gaza as collective punishment or another term?
Minister reply
We must use words carefully while emphasising that there has been significant suffering on both sides. We support efforts for a peaceful solution where communities can live side by side.
Jon Pearce
Lab
High Peak
Question
What is the UK’s stance on the Arab world's proposals regarding Gaza, and do they recognise Hamas as having no part in future governance?
Minister reply
We support a peaceful solution involving both Israel and the Palestinian side. We are involved with Egypt, Qatar, and others to facilitate negotiations.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
Why has the Minister not mentioned issues like the conditions of released Palestinians or alleged torture by Israeli law enforcement?
Minister reply
We have taken a balanced approach to highlight suffering on both sides. The release of hostages and detainees is part of ongoing negotiations.
Damien Egan
Lab
Bristol North East
Question
How is the UK monitoring efforts to restore neutrality in UNRWA's work amid challenges with certain officials?
Minister reply
The UK supports UNRWA financially and has expressed concerns about curtailment of its role. We urge that important work continues.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
Question
With aid cut to 0.3% of GDP, does the Minister still agree with Labour's manifesto on international aid making a safer world and if this move ends UK’s role in the Middle East?
Minister reply
Humanitarian aid remains a priority despite shifts in spending priorities towards European defence.
Imran Hussain
Lab
Bradford East
Question
Will the Minister sanction Israel for war crimes, including collective punishment and starvation as methods of war?
Minister reply
We condemn actions that contravene international law but emphasise ongoing efforts to resolve issues through diplomatic channels.
Yasmin Qureshi
Lab
Bolton South and Walkden
Question
Does the Minister agree that Israel’s decision to block aid to more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza is collective punishment? What concrete steps have we taken to ensure that aid gets in and that those who need medical treatment have it made available?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for her ongoing campaigning on humanitarian aid for Gaza. It is very positive that the Rafah crossing remains open, leading to a significant increase in the number of medical evacuations recently. Officials from all relevant Whitehall Departments are exploring avenues to ensure our support best meets the needs of those critically ill there.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
What action is the Minister taking to ensure that remaining hostages are released immediately, given reports from families and recently released hostages describing brutal treatment?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Member for his ongoing support for peace in the region. The UK has played an active role in coordinating with international partners since the beginning of the conflict. The Foreign Secretary has visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on three occasions since taking office, working closely with European partners to push for a resolution securing the ceasefire.
Frank McNally
Lab
Coatbridge and Bellshill
Question
Does the Minister agree that Palestinians' right to return home is jeopardised by the blocking of critical humanitarian aid? What actions will the Government take if this right continues to be restricted?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right that humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool, and we urge the Government of Israel to lift restrictions immediately and unconditionally.
Layla Moran
LD
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
Given that illegal extremist settlers' actions are unlawful under international law, should not now be a time for us to ban the goods from these settlements that fund such activities?
Minister reply
I want to be clear that our position is that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab/Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
What more can the Minister do to make clear the Government’s support for aid workers on the ground who face attacks and allegations linking them with terrorist organisations?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for her important work in this regard. Not only must aid reach those who need it in all areas, but the important work of aid workers must be respected and they must be protected.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
While supporting Ukraine until peace is achieved, does our support remain with Israel as we attempt to secure peace now and a lasting solution for the children on both sides of the Gaza boundary?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Member for mentioning the children involved in this conflict. He is well aware of the trauma that can be passed down from generation to generation, and of the many orphans in the region.
Slough
Question
What representations are the Government making to the Israeli Government to ensure aid is not blocked from entering Gaza and that illegal occupation and further evictions cease immediately?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend’s question gives me a further opportunity to emphasise that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and harm the prospects for a two-state solution.
Catherine West
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
The suffering of Palestinian children who have been attacked by Israeli drones is devastating, and the fact that those children are denied medical support and assistance is even more so. The Minister has said that we are looking at medical evacuations, but does she agree that actions speak louder than words? When will enough be enough, and when will these children get the attention that they so desperately need?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is quite right to talk about children. Whether it is in Sudan, Ukraine or anywhere else, we know that children suffer deep trauma as a result of conflict, and we are deeply alarmed by the disproportionate impact of the conflict on children in Gaza. Half of Gaza’s population are children, and the consequences of tens of thousands being killed, injured or separated from their parents threaten not only their individual futures, but the very fabric of Palestinian society for generations to come. Most, if not all, students in Gaza have not had access to education since 7 October, and at least 88% of school buildings will need full or major reconstruction.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Question
The suffering of Palestinian children who have been attacked by Israeli drones is devastating, and the fact that those children are denied medical support and assistance is even more so. The Minister has said that we are looking at medical evacuations, but does she agree that actions speak louder than words? When will enough be enough, and when will these children get the attention that they so desperately need?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is quite right to ask what we are doing. The UK is supporting the restoration of education services in Gaza, including through the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East. She will be aware of the important work to maintain the ceasefire so that we have a hope of realising the reconstruction dream.
Ben Lake
PC
Ceredigion Preseli
Question
I am very pleased to hear the Minister emphasise that the withholding of aid and using starvation as a weapon of war is wrong. Will the Minister join me in saying very clearly that this is not an accurate description of Israel?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for doing his research before coming to the House, and I can confirm that Hamas is a terror organisation that is proscribed by our Government for those reasons. It is really important that we are robust in our defence of the right of the state of Israel, our ally, to exist.
Stella Creasy
Lab/Co-op
Walthamstow
Question
The people of both Israel and Palestine have been failed by their leadership, with horrific consequences. One person who knew that more than most was my constituent’s father, Oded Lifschitz, whose coffin we saw paraded horrifically through the streets of Khan Yunis. Can the Minister be clear that we will evacuate people who need medical assistance from Gaza to the UK?
Minister reply
The Lifschitz family have a great champion in my hon. Friend, who has come to the House and laid out in clear terms her expectation of the Government. There are certain schemes to assist families in medical emergencies. With her permission, I will write to her with the detail and the exact guidelines that are used by the Government to determine who is eligible for those schemes.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
There have now been 60,000 known deaths in Gaza. Israel is already accused by the ICJ and the ICC of war crimes, including genocidal acts, and it is now committing a new war crime by denying food and water to the people of Gaza. What will it take for the British Government to cease all arms supplies to Israel?
Minister reply
As the right hon. Member is aware, as soon as the Foreign Secretary took office he ordered a review of the compliance with international humanitarian law of various export items. Following the review, the Government suspended export licences to Israel in a number of categories, assessing where there was a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
Question
Over recent days, we have seen the power of co-ordinated action when addressing a most challenging diplomatic, military and humanitarian crisis. What action is the Department taking to ensure that there is such a co-ordinated effort?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for that suggestion. The UK will certainly continue to work, as it has done, ceaselessly with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and regional partners to build consensus for a post-conflict Gaza governance and security framework that supports conditions for a permanent and sustainable peace.
Esher and Walton
Question
What message does the Minister think the Government send about their commitment to international aid in Gaza—and, indeed, anywhere else—by not only cutting it to 0.3%, which is its lowest level this century, but removing the ability of this House to scrutinise that cut or any remaining spend by moving ministerial responsibility for aid and development from this Chamber to the other place?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Member for her question; there will be an opportunity in the estimates debates later this week for her to ask further questions. However, as I am sure she is aware given her expertise in aid and development and in soft power, it will take some time for the comprehensive spending review to come forward with a picture of the resource implications.
Andy Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Question
Is it not clear that banning all supplies to Gaza is a breach of the Geneva conventions and the Rome statute? Failure to call that out emboldens Israel in its collective punishment of all Gazans. Will she confirm, as it was missing from her earlier response, that when the Government finally recognise the Palestinian state, it will include not only the west bank and Gaza, but East Jerusalem as its capital?
Melanie Ward
Lab
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy
Question
With almost 20,000 Palestinian children having been killed, Gaza and its people are in a state of devastation. The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime. The denial of humanitarian aid is a war crime, and it leads to babies freezing to death—an example the Minister gave earlier. What specific action are the Government taking with allies to pressure the Israeli Government to comply with international law and let aid into Gaza?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for all the work she did before she entered Parliament on aid and supporting international solutions for war-affected areas. Our work continues with our partners—Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and regional partners—to build consensus, because we all want to live in a world where aid is no longer necessary and there is a vibrant economy and people have jobs, schools and hospitals. That is what the UK is doing: redoubling our efforts for a post-conflict Gaza governance and security framework that supports conditions for a permanent and sustainable peace.
Ben Maguire
LD
North Cornwall
Question
It has been very frustrating to hear about this Government’s practical inaction in the face of flagrant breaches of international law in the siege of Gaza, and I sincerely hope that the Government do not continue down this path of inertia. With that in mind, what steps is the Minister taking to recognise Palestine as a state immediately as part of the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders? This is surely essential to reinvigorate the peace process and deter extremists seeking perpetual conflict in Gaza, the west bank and across the middle east.
Minister reply
The hon. Member is quite right to describe what feels like a hopeless situation, but I would remind him that over the last few weeks we have seen some rays of sunlight and a few bits of hope as—hopefully—less violence is being perpetrated and more people are going back to their homes. However, he is right to push the Government and to ask what more can be done, and that includes visits to the region to speak to the interlocutors I have mentioned and to keep pushing for peace.
Steve Yemm
Lab
Mansfield
Question
Of course, many of us in this House want to see progress towards a permanent two-state solution following the current ceasefire and hostage deal. In December, the Prime Minister announced that the Foreign Secretary would be convening a meeting of partners to support civil society in both Israel and Palestine. What update can the Minister provide to the House on how the UK plans to support the international forum for Israeli-Palestinian peace?
Minister reply
In the short term, Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza will be phased—all parties have agreed to that—but in time we must see the occupation end, as confidence is rebuilt in Gaza and Israel. The Palestinian Authority should play a key role in the future governance and security of Gaza. For the deal to work, we need all parties to co-operate, including on future security arrangements that protect both Israelis and Palestinians and allow the safe distribution of aid, in the vision of the two-state solution.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Question
Despite the appalling abuse of the hostages who were released and the propaganda value made of them, in 42 days the Israeli Government have allowed 25,200 truckloads of aid into Gaza, which is enough to sustain the entire population for four months. What assurances can the Minister give that UK aid will not be used to sustain that terrorist organisation or to control the local population?
Minister reply
If the right hon. Member is reading things online, he needs to be careful that they are correct, because while there have been recent arrivals of aid, we all know that there is a continuing need for aid. We all want to eat fresh food, we all need fresh medications, and we all need water and all those other things, and the essential aid going in needs to be refreshed every day. What we can say in this House is that providing access to essential civilian services with that aid is also crucial. I encourage him to widen his sources of reading on the access of aid into Gaza and the west bank.
Rupa Huq
Lab
Ealing Central and Acton
Question
Instituting an aid blockade, while getting on for 50,000 Gazans have been killed and there is a polio epidemic, surely looks as if civilian deprivation is being used as a weapon of war. What are the Government doing about that, and to ensure that the entire fragile ceasefire does not fall apart and the hostages can come home?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for specifically mentioning polio. We are very pleased to hear that the latest polio vaccination roll-out reached 99% of the children who were targeted, but we remain gravely concerned by the lack of adequate medical care in a wider sense in Gaza. All prisoners detained in Gaza, including medical staff, must be allowed full International Committee of the Red Cross access.
St Ives
Question
Other than the Minister’s response to the excellent question from the right hon. Member for North West Hampshire (Kit Malthouse), I strongly welcome both the tone and content of the Minister’s answers. It is clear that there is no justification for the vindictive and counterproductive actions of the Israeli Government, but they are clearly emboldened by the US President. In seeking to build international alliances to put pressure on the Israeli Government to change their actions and stop that vindictive behaviour, what conversations are the Government having to ensure that their view is conveyed to the United States so they can adopt the same line as we are?
Minister reply
To provide clarification on some of the ideas that have been proposed, for example on the future of Gaza, we have made it clear that we would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states, and the forced displacement of Palestinians or any reduction in the territory of the Gaza strip are simply not an option. I thank the hon. Gentleman for helping to keep us on track with what people in the region actually want, and for supporting around the table all partners who are pushing for a peaceful deal between the two parties.
Connor Rand
Lab
Altrincham and Sale West
Question
Does the Minister agree that, especially at a time of such intense suffering for so many civilians in Gaza, this use of both humanitarian assistance and aid is totally unacceptable and not conducive to a lasting ceasefire and long-term peace?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is quite right to emphasise the need for the steady inflow of aid. Anything else could potentially be a breach of international humanitarian law. What we see in peace processes are hiccups: one step forward and two steps back. We would be pushing for all parties to see this as a hiccup. I hope to wake up tomorrow morning to the happy news that all is back on track, aid is getting in, conversations are happening and that the peaceful future we all want for the two parties is becoming a reality.
Government Response
We urge all parties to fully implement the ceasefire to help deliver a permanent end to hostilities. We are very concerned at reports that Israel is preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool. The UK has provided £17 million in funding for healthcare, food and shelter, supporting tens of thousands of civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We are working with international partners to ensure sustained aid delivery. Israel must lift restrictions immediately and unconditionally. We oppose any forced displacement or reduction in Gaza territory, emphasising a two-state solution.
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