House of Commons · Urgent Question
29 October 2025 · 32 other contributors
Opened by Priti Patel Con Witham
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Priti Patel raised concerns about gaza and hamas 2025-10-29 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm the actions being taken to secure the elimination of Hamas from Gaza and the preservation of the ceasefire? The situation in Gaza is fragile, with reported violence and lack of compliance with ceasefire terms by Hamas. There are concerns about the threat posed by Hamas and the need for immediate action to support peace and humanitarian aid.
Question
Can the Minister explain what pressure is being exerted on Hamas by the UK Government? What practical steps are being taken to support disarming Hamas?
Minister reply
We have been absolutely clear that Hamas poses a threat and it is sanctioned as a terrorist organisation here. We take measures with partners, including discussions on transitional governance in Gaza, security arrangements, an international security force, and other necessary steps.
Question
What further action can the Government take to ensure that aid flows into Gaza quickly?
Minister reply
To get to the volumes needed, we will need both Rafah and Allenby bridge reopened. An increase of aid through Kerem Shalom is welcome, but it's vital that other crossings also reopen so that aid can flow in the necessary volumes.
Question
What steps have the Government taken to work with regional partners to force Hamas to return hostage bodies and disarm?
Minister reply
We remain in regular contact at the highest levels with US counterparts on these questions. I have been in talks with opposite numbers across the region, including my Qatari opposites yesterday.
Question
What type of aid does the Minister think needs to be sent into Gaza?
Minister reply
There are immediate humanitarian needs, with a £20 million contribution announced for water, sanitation, and health. There is also a need for sustainable reconstruction involving Palestinian companies.
Question
How will the UK deter Israeli aggression on Palestinian soil?
Minister reply
The Government continue to work with partners, including discussions on reopening crossings and providing aid. We are also involved in regional talks focusing on sustainable support for Gaza.
Question
The International Court of Justice has called on Israel to allow aid into Gaza and denounce its occupation as unlawful. Does the Minister understand that unless Palestinians are allowed to determine their fate free from violence, peace will not be achieved?
Minister reply
In response to the ICJ advisory opinion regarding the Occupied Palestinian Territories, significant decisions have been made by the Government, including recognising the Palestinian state. The British government does not trade with Israeli settlements on the same basis as Israel and ensures that British companies comply with trading arrangements.
Question
The Minister rightly said that Hamas must disarm, yet the US seems to be licensing internal security operations for Hamas. What conversations is he having with his US counterparts to reconcile these positions?
Minister reply
Disarmament requires time and complex technical work. The Government wants Gaza to be free of Hamas and disarmed but recognises it will take time. Work on this issue is ongoing between the UK and the US.
Question
In Gaza, grassroots peacebuilders face immense tasks of reconciliation while debate becomes polarised at home. What statement will the Minister make calling for unity in this fractious time?
Minister reply
The Government continues to work on moving forward with the ceasefire into phase 2 and implementing a wider peace plan.
Question
Hamas has not released all hostage bodies, while Israel returned Palestinian bodies without names. What are the Government doing to help identify these bodies so families can grieve?
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the difficulties of mortuary processes but there have been no specific requests for support in mortuary services from either side.
Question
Peace cannot exist under impunity. Israel continues to bomb Gaza, and British companies continue trading with settlements undermining international law. Will the Government suspend UK-Israel trade deals linked to settlements?
Minister reply
The Minister clarifies that the UK does not accept trade with settlements on the same basis as Israel and HMRC will take an interest in any breaches of these arrangements.
Question
There must be a widespread deradicalisation programme to undo damage done by teaching children in Gaza to hate through textbooks, including some UNRWA-funded materials. What steps is the Minister taking?
Minister reply
Work has been done recently on this issue under the Government, including funding for reforms identified in the Colonna report and continued engagement with UNRWA.
Question
Before the crisis, illegal settlements were a significant problem. Will the Minister consider further steps, including trade restrictions, to combat these settlements?
Minister reply
The Government acknowledges the increase in settlements and violence associated with them, and will continue working alongside partners to try to reverse this trend.
Question
The US has indicated Israel’s response was proportionate. Is that view shared by HM Government?
Minister reply
The Minister is reluctant to provide a day-by-day commentary on actions of both sides and reiterates the importance of ensuring the ceasefire continues.
Question
It is 19 days since hostages were taken, aid to Gaza is limited, and the West Bank situation deteriorates. What justification has Israel given for recent incidents?
Minister reply
The Government ensures there are efforts to understand violent incidents that threaten the ceasefire but will not provide a running commentary until in a position to do so.
Question
It is olive harvest season, supporting 100,000 farming Palestinians. Over 150 attacks by settlers against farmers have been reported. How are the Government holding Israel accountable?
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges that it is an olive harvesting period and has seen more than 150 settler attacks on farmers in the West Bank.
Question
Does the Minister agree that the scenes emerging from Gaza reinforce that Hamas are terrorists and murderers, with no role in future governance of Palestine?
Minister reply
I agree with my hon. Friend. The chilling scenes we have seen are evidence that Hamas are terrorists who can have no role in the governance of Palestine.
Question
Does the Minister condemn Hamas for their actions regarding hostages' bodies, and what more will be done with international allies to put pressure on Hamas?
Minister reply
The hon. Member is right: Hamas must return all the bodies immediately. We have made that point to our regional partners and will continue to do so.
Question
Given the war crimes committed by Israel, should there be extensive sanctions on Israel similar to those imposed on Russia?
Minister reply
The priority now has to be to make the ceasefire work and move towards phase 2. We have discussed sanctions before but focus must remain on ensuring the ceasefire holds.
Question
How is the Government providing help to civil society organisations advocating for a two-state solution, and through what mechanisms such as the recently announced international fund?
Minister reply
We remain focused on supporting the whole range of civil society. The hon. Member will be aware of some proposals in the Knesset which we have opposed.
Question
Can the Minister reassure that everyone involved is focused on keeping the peace and making the ceasefire work, including recognising the Palestinian voice?
Minister reply
I am absolutely certain that everyone in the UK working on this is focused on ensuring that the ceasefire sticks, including recognition of Palestine.
Question
Will the Minister give assurances about being committed to eradicating Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure and not ceasing until they are fully dismantled?
Minister reply
We are committed to ensuring that those bodies are returned and that Hamas are disarmed, including tackling their complex tunnel network.
Question
What latest steps have the Government taken to support Gazan students with dependants who wish to study in the UK?
Minister reply
Evacuations for students and medically vulnerable children continue. We made an update to our policy supporting a very small number of dependants for fully funded students.
Question
What specific pressure is the Government exerting on Israeli authorities to ensure aid routes are fully open?
Minister reply
We want to see progress soon but this has proved more complex. We are working with our partners on these questions.
Question
How further aid can be directed to support women and girls in rebuilding healthcare systems in Gaza?
Minister reply
Among the most urgent actions is ensuring medical supplies, personnel, and infrastructure are in place. We will continue to work closely on that.
Question
Will Britain no longer fly RAF aeroplanes over Gaza, cooperate with Israel on security arrangements, or supply weapons due to breaches of the ceasefire?
Minister reply
We have made significant suspensions in arms arrangements. The RAF flights attempting to find hostages have stopped as those hostages have been released.
Question
We all hope desperately for a just peace in Gaza. I served alongside the Minister as a diplomat in the middle east and as a soldier. Given that, I particularly welcome the proposed international security force, but it is essential that such a force includes troops from Arab countries and possibly from western countries too, in order to reassure the Israelis, and that it is there for the long term and ready to take casualties. Will the Minister update the House on what progress there has been on the composition and the mandate of the potential force?
Minister reply
My friend the hon. and gallant Member is right to focus on some of these practical questions. He, like me, served in countries where peacekeeping forces were unable to keep the peace and unwilling to take casualties, and were therefore unable to fulfil their mandate. These are some of the most central and most delicate questions around the ISF. I hope he will forgive me for not giving a detailed commentary at this time, but I expect to return to the House to provide more detail when I am able.
Question
There have been recent press reports that the Israeli Government have been arming factions within Gaza in order to destabilise Hamas. Can the Minister comment on any of those reports? What is the position of the British Government on that?
Minister reply
As I said earlier, I will not provide extensive commentary on reports, but clearly safety and security for Gazans will involve Palestinian authorities able to ensure law and order. Those who have been living in Gaza have suffered terribly; there has been widespread looting and violence. I am sure many will pore over the question of who those factions and criminals are and who is supporting them. The key thing now is that security needs to return to Gaza, and that security cannot be provided by the masked Hamas gunmen that the shadow Foreign Secretary rightly referred to at the outset, so that work continues.
Question
The Minister has rightly emphasised the importance of securing the swift and urgent supply of aid to all those in need in Gaza, but he has also mentioned that some of the crossings remain disrupted or fully closed. What reasons have been given for the continued delay in reopening all the crossings?
Minister reply
There has been some public reporting of Israeli concerns about the Allenby bridge, particularly after the violence there. Rafah is a subject that we have discussed many times in this House, and it remains an absolutely critical artery. It is true to say that in both the Allenby crossing and Rafah there will need to be agreement between both countries. I hope that agreement can be secured quickly, that Israel removes the restrictions in place, and that we see the free flow of aid through those crossings very shortly.
Question
I thank the Minister for his statement and his focus on maintaining the ceasefire. I stand in solidarity with the many ordinary Palestinians living under Hamas and with the families in Israel waiting for their loved ones to be returned, but I cannot conclude that what Netanyahu has done in the last 24 hours was proportionate in any way. With peace will come the opportunity to rebuild Gaza, but I do not see how that can be done when Israel holds so many people without charge, particularly healthcare workers. Does the Minister agree it is really important that people, particularly healthcare workers, should not be held without charge?
Minister reply
International justice and accountability are of vital importance. That is why this Government removed the block on the International Criminal Court and continued to support that very important body, and that is why we continue to support the International Court of Justice. They are the competent courts and the process by which justice will be secured, and we continue to support them in those endeavours.
Question
It is horrifying that Netanyahu has bombed Gaza in a clear violation of the ceasefire. The suffering in Gaza is unimaginable. To move forward, we must demand justice and reparations for all victims of atrocity crimes and hold to account the perpetrators. What are the Government doing to uphold UK obligations under international law to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide?
Minister reply
International justice and accountability are of vital importance. That is why this Government removed the block on the International Criminal Court and continued to support that very important body, and that is why we continue to support the International Court of Justice. They are the competent courts and the process by which justice will be secured, and we continue to support them in those endeavours.
Question
I thank the Minister very much for his answers, his tone and his well-chosen words; we appreciate them. The moment that there were reports of shots fired at Israeli soldiers in Rafah and of an IDF soldier being murdered, my heart sank—as the hearts of many others probably did—because I knew that the tenuous peace had been broken by Hamas. Does the Minister accept that retaliation is inevitable? What role can the Government play, along with our allies, to rebuild the fragile peace process and disarm Hamas, remove their weapons and destroy them?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Member for his important question and his as ever courteous tone. The work is important. The threats to the ceasefire are many and varied, and we will continue to work with our partners in exactly the way that he describes.
Government Response
The House will be aware of events over the past 24 hours in Rafah, including reports that Israeli strikes took place last night. Estimates of the death toll vary, but the suggestion is that up to 100 people in Gaza have been killed. We understand that these strikes followed an attack yesterday afternoon where responsibility remains unclear. The Government are working closely with partners for a ceasefire transition into phase 2 of the peace plan, which includes disarmament of Hamas, deployment of a monitoring mission, and international security forces. The UK is also looking at sustainable support for Gaza's reconstruction and will continue to play its part in supporting the ceasefire and wider peace initiative.