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Middle East Update
02 September 2024
Lead MP
David Lammy
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
DefenceTaxationForeign Affairs
Other Contributors: 31
At a Glance
David Lammy raised concerns about middle east update 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:
Government Statement
On taking office, the Labour Government prioritised advancing peace in the Middle East. The Minister emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling for hostage releases and increased aid. He discussed his diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully with Israeli, Lebanese, and Hezbollah representatives, urging them to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Concerning arms exports to Israel, due to clear risks that certain UK arms could be used to violate international humanitarian law, the Minister announced the suspension of around 30 out of approximately 350 licences, focusing on equipment potentially used in current conflicts like military aircraft and targeting items. The suspension does not affect civilian use or global collaborative F-35 programme supplies. The Government will continue monitoring the situation and working with allies to improve conditions. The Minister also introduced new sanctions against Iranian-backed forces.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
Question
How will the suspension of arms licences affect British partnerships in global collaborative programmes such as the F-35 programme?
Minister reply
The action taken does not prejudice the international, collaborative F-35 programme. Licences for this critical global supply chain are exempted from the decision to ensure security for the UK and its allies.
Andrew Mitchell
Con
Sutton Coldfield
Question
Can you provide more detail on how Britain is participating in international efforts to deliver aid through border crossings into Gaza?
Minister reply
The Government will continue working closely with partners to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, including ensuring deconfliction processes are watertight and guaranteeing the utmost protection for aid workers.
Andrew Mitchell
Con
Sutton Coldfield
Question
The MP thanked the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of his statement and highlighted the ongoing suffering of hostages, urging their release. He questioned the Government's approach to sanctions against Hamas and Iran-backed proxies while supporting Israel’s security interests, calling for watertight deconfliction processes in aid distribution.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged the complexity of the issue and emphasised that the UK recognises the importance of international humanitarian law. He mentioned visits to Lebanon and discussions with the Lebanese Prime Minister. The minister also reiterated calls for de-escalation, particularly in Gaza where not enough trucks are getting through despite the conflict lasting over 11 months.
Dawn Butler
Lab
Brent East
Question
The MP thanked the Secretary of State and questioned measures to ensure pauses for vaccinations against polio, stressing that at least 90% of children under 10 must be immunised in a very short period.
Minister reply
The Minister confirmed meetings with Dr Tedros from the World Health Organisation to discuss concerns about disease and polio. He urged all sides to reach a ceasefire and highlighted Britain’s role in facilitating such agreements.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
Expresses condolences for the deaths of Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians. Asks about the Foreign Secretary’s remarks on suspending some licences for arms export to the Israel Defence Forces, questioning why goods produced in illegal settlements are not banned and whether violent extremists will be sanctioned.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the suffering of hostage families, condemns IDF military operation methods, settler expansion, and language used by Israeli Ministers. Confirms labelling goods from settlements based on 1967 borders but notes complexity.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Question
Questions the urgency of UK Government actions regarding Palestinian deaths and increased settler violence.
Minister reply
Reassures that the issue is under review, in dialogue with allies, and will not flinch from necessary measures.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Asks for assurance regarding UK-Israel cooperation on intelligence sharing about international terrorism despite recent actions.
Minister reply
Emphasises the importance of people-to-people, trading, and military-security relationships with Israel.
Emily Thornberry
Lab
Islington South and Finsbury
Question
Clarifies that this is not an arms embargo on Israel but a suspension of 30 licences based on risk assessment.
Minister reply
Reiterates the sober assessment, suspending export licences for weapons that may be used in Gaza due to clear risks.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
Asks about extending sanctions to violent settler organisations and those supporting them.
Minister reply
Reassures of focus on west bank violence, will continue working with allies and reviewing matters closely.
Andy McDonald
Lab
Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
Question
Asks for assessment of impact from suspending 30 licences and further steps to take.
Minister reply
Acknowledges consistency in talks about these issues, follows robust export licensing process.
Brendan O'Hara
SNP
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Question
Questions why a blanket ban on Israel was not imposed until risks have gone away.
Minister reply
Explains robust export licensing regime assessment based on clear risk in the theatre of conflict.
Aylesbury
Question
I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s decision to suspend certain arms sales to Israel. I also appreciate his acknowledgment that Israel could do much more to allow aid to reach people in Gaza. What further conversations has he had with the Israeli Government to ask them to ensure that aid workers can do their vital work safely and effectively, and that aid can get to those who desperately need it?
Minister reply
I have raised the issue of aid workers, and the tremendous loss of aid workers’ lives in this conflict, directly in all my meetings with the Israeli Government. Another issue sits alongside this: the issue of deconfliction.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Question
The only people who will be overjoyed by this decision are the Hamas terrorists who murdered six hostages in cold blood at the weekend. They have been handed the hope that this Government will not stand firm in their defence of Israel’s right to defend itself.
Minister reply
I say to the right hon. Gentleman that this party supported British fighters taking to the skies on 13 April in the defence of Israel when missiles were being delivered from Iran.
Chi Onwurah
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Question
I welcome the Government’s decision to suspend certain licences to sell arms to Israel; my constituents are horrified by the unimaginable and unacceptable suffering in Gaza, and certainly would not want any British exports to contribute to it. My constituents are also horrified by the unimaginable and unacceptable suffering of the hostages who have been held for over 11 months, many of whom have been killed.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend asks a very good question, and she is absolutely right: what brings this to an end is a ceasefire.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
The Foreign Secretary will be well aware of the decisions made by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. He will also be well aware that the world has condemned Israel for its illegal occupation of the west bank, the settlement policy and the killing of 40,000 people in Gaza.
Minister reply
I know that the right hon. Gentleman is informed on many aspects of these issues.
Melanie Ward
Lab
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy
Question
Israeli military F-16 aircraft have dropped thousands of bombs on civilians in Gaza in the last 11 months. UN weapons inspectors confirmed that this includes bombing the premises of the aid agencies Medical Aid for Palestinians and the International Rescue Committee, which housed Palestinian aid workers, international aid workers and doctors, in January of this year.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend brings tremendous expertise to the House on the issues on the ground, particularly in Gaza and the west bank.
Mike Martin
Lib Dem
Tunbridge Wells
Question
We have had some very strong words from the Foreign Secretary today about the need for this war to end, and we have heard how important a ceasefire is for that, and I take him at his word.
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is new to this House, so I will tread very gently.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Question
We have seen the most serious incursions into the west bank for 20 years.
Minister reply
I say to my very good friend that the UK position is clear: settlements are completely unacceptable and illegal under international law.
Ben Lake
PC
Ceredigion Preseli
Question
Amid the devastation of the bombardment and the collapse in civilian infrastructure, civilians in Gaza must now contend with polio.
Minister reply
I am grateful for the question. It is horrendous that polio has returned after two decades of absence in Gaza.
Jonathan Pearce
Lab
High Peak
Question
We are all desperate to see an end to the suffering on all sides in this conflict. The Iranian regime and their proxies are one of the biggest barriers to ending that conflict and achieving a sustainable ceasefire. Does the Secretary of State agree that tackling the threat from Iran is vital? Will he update us on his plans to proscribe the IRGC?
Minister reply
I am grateful for the question, and I would not want the House to lose sight of the further sanctions on four individuals that I announced in the House this afternoon; Members can revisit my statement to be abreast of that. My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the dangers that the IRGC poses. Indeed, it has been important for me in these early weeks in office to engage with my Iranian counterpart and to urge de-escalation, particularly in relation to any action that Iran is contemplating.
Ellie Chowns
Green
North Herefordshire
Question
The news about the suspension of some export licences is indeed welcome, and I know that many in my constituency and across the country will be glad to hear it, but I am alarmed that the principle underpinning criterion 2C seems to have been inconsistently applied. In particular, the justification that the Foreign Secretary offered for not suspending licences for the F-35 appears inconsistent. There appears to be clear evidence of risk—I understand that there are online posts from the Israel Defence Forces indicating that F-35s have been used in bombing Gaza—so I urge him to review the case again and to suspend those licences. Will he also clarify whether licensing continues for R902(W) Wankel engines, which were involved in the attack on World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady asked important questions about the F-35. In looking at the F-35, it is important to understand that there is a global supply chain. She will recognise the very serious threats that exist across much of the globe in other terrible theatres of conflict.
Olivia Blake
Lab
Sheffield Hallam
Question
The children of Gaza have faced an onslaught from above and now face the spread of disease. Will the Foreign Secretary consider once again bringing those who are most vulnerable to the UK for medical treatment? Polio has a lasting impact, and those who have been infected could need a lot more support with lifelong disabilities. We also see children who need amputations and life-altering operations but have not been able to access the right quality of care because the hospitals have not been there. Can we look at this again?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises a very important issue. My right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) and I made statements in our first weeks in office on supporting UK-Med and restoring the funding to UNRWA, to ensure that those children get the medical aid they need at this time.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his answers. I defend the right of Israel to protect all its people, as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland did for its own citizens against IRA terrorism, and as Ukraine has done against Russian aggression. I am ever mindful of that. Our hearts ache for those hostage families who have received the news that they feared and dreaded for almost a year. That even more forcibly underlines the need to ensure that either the hostages or their remains are brought home, and that steps be taken for peace in the middle east, which is the goal of the Foreign Secretary and everyone in this House. Will he outline what further steps can be taken along with our allies to bring about this much-needed peace?
Minister reply
Today’s decision relates to an independent process concerning our strategic export licensing criteria. It comes on yet another day of tremendous pain for those hostage families—I am acutely aware of that.
Apsana Begum
Lab
Poplar and Limehouse
Question
The Foreign Secretary announced that 30 of approximately 350 arms export licences will now be suspended. That is still less than 10% of the total number of arms export licences to Israel. Given that over 40,000 Palestinians have now been killed, Israel is expanding its military operations in the occupied west bank and a Foreign Office official has resigned, stating that ‘it’s actually quite clear…that…Israel is perpetuating war crimes in plain sight’, will the UK Government ensure that the UK is not complicit in Israel’s war crimes, and will they suspend all arms sales to Israel?
Minister reply
I have followed the quasi-legal process that we have in this country—one of the most robust regimes in the world. I stand by the decision that I have made that approximately 30 export licences to Israel should be suspended at this time.
Ayoub Khan
Ind
Birmingham Perry Barr
Question
I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s decision to withdraw some arms export licences. I am confident that, even though our arms trade is insignificant, it is bound to have a repercussion on other countries that provide arms licences, so I certainly welcome the move. What steps can he take, in liaising with his Israeli counterparts, in relation to the Palestinian children who will now receive polio vaccinations and are being moved from pillar to post, without a real safe zone? Will the Foreign Secretary seek assurances that they will be given a safe zone and not be blown away after being given their vaccinations?
Minister reply
Yes.
Catherine Fookes
Lab
Monmouthshire
Question
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement. I absolutely share his pain, horror and dismay at the number of innocent civilians killed in Gaza. I recently received a letter from constituents under the banner of Families for a Ceasefire, signed by over 70 families in Monmouthshire, calling for a ceasefire and a ban on all arms sales to Israel, so I welcome the suspension of 30 arms licences. Will my right hon. Friend share with us when a further review of the remaining licences will be available? Will he consider encouraging other countries around the world to do as we have done and suspend their licences to Israel?
Minister reply
I recognise that this is a really big issue for my hon. Friend’s constituents.
Chris Murray
Lab
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Question
I welcome the Government’s statement and I know that many in my constituency will as well. Our overwhelming priority must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that both sides must come to the table to end the conflict, and will the Foreign Office strain every diplomatic sinew to effect that?
Minister reply
Yes. We need a ceasefire now.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
We have been talking about polio today because, tragically, we have learnt that that infectious disease is taking a grip in Gaza. However, there are many other communicable diseases in Gaza which are spreading. Therefore, just focusing on polio will not be sufficient to save lives. What further steps can my right hon. Friend take to ensure that windows of vaccination, treatment and cure can be extended so that more lives can be saved?
Minister reply
I assure my hon. Friend that both the Minister for Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds), and I are working on these issues.
Alice Macdonald
Lab Co-op
Norwich North
Question
The Foreign Secretary rightly said in his statement that famine was looming ever larger in Gaza, and he has just mentioned the issue of hunger and malnutrition. The World Food Programme has managed to bring in only half the aid needed, and, indeed, recently suspended movements of its staff after they came under attack. Will the Foreign Secretary expand on the assessment of hunger and malnutrition levels in Gaza, and on the specific action that the Government are taking to push for unimpeded access to food aid?
Minister reply
It is of tremendous concern that over the last few days the World Food Programme has suspended its activities in Gaza because its own workers have come under attack in connection with issues of deconfliction that have already been raised today. That has prompted tremendous concern on both sides of the House about nutrition, about starvation and about famine. We will be redoubling our efforts over the coming days, and working with international partners to see that people do not go without the food that would keep them from famine status.
Matthew Patrick
Lab
Wirral West
Question
I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s call for an immediate ceasefire, because that is the route for hostages to be returned home and for aid to flow into all corners of Gaza, and I welcome his call for a two-state solution, because that is the only route to a lasting peace in the region. I also welcome the clarity about the fact that there is no moral equivalence between the Israeli Government and the heinous action and intent of Hamas. May I ask the Foreign Secretary what steps can be taken to stop, or stem, the flow of money, aid and weapons from Iran to its proxies, who are so determined to bring about Israel’s total destruction?
Minister reply
I am grateful for the tone of my hon. Friend’s remarks. He is entirely right to put the spotlight on Iran. That is why I have announced further sanctions today, it is why we keep the position of the IRGC under close review, and it is why I have spoken to the Iranians twice in the last two weeks and urged de-escalation. It is also why I have been to Lebanon and met its Prime Minister, its Speaker and others, including those who could convey messages to Hezbollah. We have military intelligence capability that is among the best in the world, working with our partners, and these are issues of the utmost importance in relation to global security.
Shadow Comment
Andrew Mitchell
Shadow Comment
The Conservative shadow welcomed the Foreign Secretary's commitment to Israel’s security but criticised Hamas for using Palestinians as human shields and called for the release of hostages. He acknowledged that Resolution 1701 provides a roadmap for de-escalation and peace along the blue line. Mitchell urged Britain to support humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza, advocating for guaranteed safety for convoys delivering aid by road and truck. The shadow expressed hope for regional stability while emphasising Iran’s threat to Israel.
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