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Gaza: Humanitarian Situation
04 December 2023
Lead MP
Leo Docherty
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Foreign Affairs
Other Contributors: 55
At a Glance
Leo Docherty raised concerns about gaza: humanitarian situation 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
A tragic event has occurred in the Middle East, with Israel experiencing its worst terror attack and Palestinian civilians enduring a severe humanitarian crisis. The British Government announced an additional £30 million in humanitarian aid on November 24th, tripling the existing budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories to £60 million this financial year. This aid includes 74 tonnes of supplies delivered by UK aircraft. During the ceasefire, efforts are being made to provide critical aid and negotiate access. The government is advocating internationally for respect of international humanitarian law, increased fuel supply, humanitarian pauses, and broader assistance types. Diplomatic options include urging Israel to open other land borders like Kerem Shalom.
Lisa Nandy
Lab
Wigan
Question
The Shadow Minister questions why senior officials are not making statements. She urges the Government to push for a cessation of hostilities, release hostages, and ensure aid reaches those in need without further displacement. Concerns about disease spread and winter conditions are raised. The MP calls for faster humanitarian aid distribution and coordination efforts like appointing a coordinator.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the constructive tone but emphasises ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure another pause. He confirms continued monitoring of safe zones and reliance on UN agencies for disease mitigation, despite alarming need increases. Efforts are doubled in both humanitarian and political fronts towards long-term peace.
Question
The MP supports the Government's efforts but suggests a permanent end to violence requires recognition of Israel’s international boundaries by its neighbours and cessation of aggressive settler activity.
Minister reply
The Minister agrees that a two-state solution where both sides respect each other’s right to exist and stop settler violence is crucial for long-term peace in the region.
Brendan O'Hara
SNP
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Question
Asked about the resumption of Israeli offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis. Criticised UK Government for not officially recognising Palestine.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the tragic human impact but emphasised that Hamas is a terrorist group responsible for atrocities, hindering any two-state solution.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
Proposed using RAF cargo planes to parachute food and medicines into Gaza.
Minister reply
Acknowledged that humanitarian aid had been delivered, but emphasised the exploration of maritime routes for greater utility.
Sarah Champion
Lab
Rotherham
Question
Asked about when Foreign Secretary would address the House regarding Gaza situation.
Minister reply
Said it will be very soon.
Question
Blamed Hamas for lack of two-state solution, condemned its violence and sexual abuse.
Minister reply
Agreed that Hamas' terrorism is a principal blockage to the two-state solution and supported Israel's right to defend itself.
Question
Asked if recognising Palestinian statehood would give Palestinians hope for a two-state solution.
Minister reply
Said efforts are focused on pragmatic avenues, working with regional allies to support the two-state solution.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Asked who would remove Hamas from control in Gaza.
Minister reply
Stated that the political future of Palestinians is for Palestinians to decide.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
Condemned extreme violence by Hamas but asked what resources are being used to achieve a two-state solution.
Minister reply
Emphasised diplomatic effort and UN Security Council membership as levers for positive political influence.
Question
Asked the Minister to condemn violence against women by Hamas.
Minister reply
Deeply condemned the reported acts of terrorism committed by Hamas.
Rushanara Ali
Lab
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Question
Inquired about UK's actions as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to end bloodshed.
Minister reply
Continued to use all levers for another humanitarian pause, given Hamas' commitment to Israel's destruction.
Question
Called on UK to lead at the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and humanitarian assistance.
Minister reply
Emphasised that shaping outcomes through further humanitarian pauses is currently pragmatic.
Question
Asked what will remain of Gaza after ongoing bombings, questioning who would govern it.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the human cost but stated political future of Palestinians is a question for them.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Question
I welcome the Government’s support for the extension of the humanitarian pauses, so that more aid can get into Gaza and more lives can be saved. May I ask the Minister about post-conflict governance in Gaza? Fatah are not Hamas, and Hamas are not Fatah, clearly—by definition. Fatah are marginally better in the eyes of some Palestinians, but when they have gone to the ballot box, the Palestinians have not voted for Fatah; they have voted for others. I notice that there have been a lot of high-level diplomatic visits to the senior leadership of Fatah. May I encourage the Government to perhaps look more widely at who might form the Government of Gaza in the future, so that the UK does not repeat the mistakes of the past and Fatah do not return to office only to be thrown out years later and perhaps replaced by a new Hamas?
Minister reply
It would be easy for us to prejudge and second-guess political outcomes in the west bank or indeed in Gaza, but we will not do that. What we would seek post-conflict is a democratic renaissance of the ability of Palestinians to represent themselves and govern themselves responsibly, and we must not prejudge or second-guess that.
Joanna Cherry
SNP
Question
Like many other Members, I have constituents who are British citizens and whose families are trapped in Gaza and desperate for humanitarian visas. One constituent who wrote to me at the weekend said that her 79-year-old mother had been displaced nine times and was now in Rafah. She and her brothers and sisters, who are British citizens and senior professionals, say that they do not want state funds because they can support their family, but surely they can bring their family—my constituent’s 79-year-old mother, her sister and her sister’s six-month-old baby—to the United Kingdom in order to look after them. What can I tell these people about humanitarian visas, and will the Minister lean on the Home Office to address the question of issuing humanitarian visas?
Minister reply
I note the hon. and learned Lady’s question with interest. Given that she has cited a specific case—that of her constituent with links to Rafah—we can pursue it individually if she furnishes us with the details.
Tobias Ellwood
Con
Question
With the humanitarian pause now closed, the nightmare is back for the remaining hostages and their families, for the Palestinians in desperate need of aid, and also for all citizens on both sides who are fearful of what falls from the skies. However, with no timeline and no clear plan, the next chapter is likely to be darker and more deadly. Does my hon. Friend agree that Israel will not, indeed cannot, resolve the humanitarian, governance and security issues alone? The international community has a vital role to play, not least to avoid escalation, so would the UK consider co-hosting an international summit with the United States and other stakeholders to begin the discussions that will start to resolve the bigger issues?
Minister reply
The international dimension is critical, and what is not in doubt is our ability and our intent to use our international diplomatic network and our connections across the region—because the regional approach is hugely important in this context. We will endeavour to use our connections throughout the Gulf states and the rest of the middle east, and internationally, to seek a just and long-term solution.
Barry Sheerman
Lab
Question
What I want, what my constituents want and what the whole country wants is to stop killing children, stop killing civilians. They do not know who is the best person or group of people to do that, but for God’s sake, someone stop this killing of children.
Minister reply
The images we have seen of civilian deaths have of course been acutely painful. We continue to use our relationship with Israel to ensure that it is restrained in terms of its application of force, and we are also forthright in our absolute condemnation of the terrorist atrocity perpetrated by Hamas and the grotesque effect that it has had on Israelis of all ages.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
Despite the humanitarian pause, the majority—137 hostages—are still held by the terrorists in Gaza. Of those, two are children, 10 are over 75 and 20 are female, and there are 11 foreign nationals. Clearly the negotiations with these terrorists broke down over the weekend, so what action is the FCDO taking to ensure that the hostages are freed and returned to their families?
Minister reply
That is at the front and centre of our diplomatic effort internationally. Obviously there is a complex web of negotiation effort on which I will not comment in detail, but we are painfully conscious of the need to exert all our institutional effort to bring those people home safely.
Seema Malhotra
Lab Co-op
Feltham and Heston
Question
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unspeakable, with 1.8 million people now displaced, 33,000 injured—and the number of hospital beds down to about 1,400 and dropping—and more than 15,000 dead. My constituent Noura has lost her brother and nephew, who were blown up in their home after they went back when they thought it was safe to do so. Her sister-in-law has lost her limbs, and two other children are in hospital in intensive care. I need to ask the Minister these questions. What is the plan for humanitarian visas? What is the plan for safe zones, and how serious is it? What is the plan for people who have lost their homes, their family members, and their limbs? What is the plan, seriously, to work with international allies towards a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a proper political solution?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady makes a good point about the impact on hospitals. That is why we have tripled our aid. We are focused on channelling it through the UN agencies that can most effectively help people in hospitals, whether by the provision of fuel or other supplies. That is the groundwork that we hope will eventually unlock the political phase to improve the solution. It is humanitarian first, with the politics in tandem, which we are also doing.
Andrew Selous
Con
Question
The sexual violence meted out by Hamas on 7 October was horrendous. In the second half of last month, a number of Members on both sides of the House received details passed on by a doctor in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, who said that three of his children and three of his grandchildren were among the 45 men, women and children in his house who had all been destroyed that afternoon while he was working a hospital shift. We are piling misery on misery, so as one former infantry soldier to another, I ask my hon. Friend to make sure that the British Government renew their plea for the greatest possible precision in pursuit of the terrorists so that we do not lose more civilian lives in that way.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend speaks with experience and knowledge, and we are making exactly those pleas to our Israeli colleagues.
Ian Paisley Jnr
DUP
Question
Eight weeks after the unjustifiable murder of Jewish people in Israel and the countless rapes of Israeli and Jewish women, is the Minister disappointed that the United Nations women’s group made the most facile and mealy-mouthed statement that did not even use the word “rape” in describing what had happened? Will he use his and the Government’s influence to draw to the attention of the United Nations the importance of getting on side on this issue and condemning sexual violence against women and the rape of women? Just because they are Jews does not mean that they do not matter, and that point should be made to the United Nations over and over again.
Minister reply
Of course these reports are shocking and we certainly condemn it. Rape is rape, and we must call it out.
Steve Double
Con
Question
The more details we learn of the barbaric attacks of 7 October and the treatment of the victims, especially the women, the more horrific it becomes. One can only imagine the sheer anguish that the families of the victims go through on a daily basis as more information comes out, so can my hon. Friend tell me what humanitarian support is being provided to the families of the victims of Hamas?
Minister reply
That is a terribly good question. A large proportion of our tripled humanitarian aid budget of £60 million will be channelled through UNICEF and the other two UN agencies, UNRWA and OCHA, and a large proportion of it will support women affected by conflict.
Alison McGovern
Lab
Birkenhead
Question
I am sorry, but I must press the Minister because I do not feel that he has answered the question on what the Government’s strategy is, particularly the political strategy. We all feel this so strongly: no child should ever be the target of a terrorist or in any conflict, so what is the Government’s political strategy to protect the lives of children?
Minister reply
Our strategy is to exert all efforts to bring about peace.
Neil O'Brien
Con
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Question
I welcome the Minister’s growing success in getting aid into Gaza and the tripling of UK aid, but even as he works urgently to get aid to the neediest civilians of Gaza in the shortest possible time, will the Government redouble their efforts to bring about a diplomatic solution, perhaps using a contact group, in order that we can grow the humanitarian pauses into a just and lasting peace and a two-state solution?
Minister reply
That is exactly our strategy. It is to use diplomatic efforts in concert with humanitarian efforts to bring about a situation whereby diplomacy can take effect and the foundations can be laid of a long-term peace. We are clearly not there yet, and it will require a huge amount of diplomatic effort right across the region and a close relationship with many parties. That is something to which we can bring a great deal of expertise and utility.
Naseem Shah
Lab
Bradford West
Question
What actions have the Government implemented to integrate their approach to preventing atrocities into the UK’s foreign and development policy? How have they involved the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation’s mass atrocity prevention hub in risk assessing Israel’s actions in Gaza?
Minister reply
Those issues are woven into the fabric of our diplomacy, and they are hugely important in all our work across the middle east, and nowhere more so than the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Alistair Carmichael
Lib Dem
Orkney and Shetland
Question
The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported that 57 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7th, the highest number recorded by them since they began tracking this statistic in 1992. Does Carmichael not think that this demonstrates the wholly indiscriminate nature of the actions taken by the Israeli Defence Forces? Will Docherty urge the Netanyahu Government to recognise and address the complete unacceptability of these actions?
Minister reply
Docherty does not accept Carmichael's characterization as 'wholly indiscriminate' but acknowledges the tragic loss of 57 journalists. He states that representations are being made to Israel to constrain its operations.
Ruth Jones
Lab
Newport West and Islwyn
Question
Jones has received emails from constituents condemning the ongoing killing of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and calling for an end to violence. She asks Docherty to condemn acts of violence and extremism by Israeli settlers in the west bank, urging accountability and condemnation of extremist rhetoric.
Minister reply
Docherty states that this Government condemns settler violence in the west bank but clarifies that Israel’s military operation is a response to the terrorist attack on October 7th.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Question
Over 15,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza. Despite this, Israel's military operations continue unabated following a pause in fighting. What specific requests are the Government making to their Israeli counterparts to halt these actions? Does Docherty believe that allowing disproportionate and indiscriminate destruction of civilian areas is justified?
Minister reply
Docherty argues for a humanitarian pause to allow de-escalation and further flow of humanitarian aid, but asserts that Israel’s military response is necessary due to Hamas's terrorist intentions.
Kim Leadbeater
Lab
Spen Valley
Question
Leadbeater echoes calls for a long-term political solution and criticises the international community’s reluctance to address this conflict. She warns that Israel’s actions may be in breach of international law, urging Docherty to reinforce these warnings. She also questions whether sending texts or QR codes advising evacuations is sufficient when there is no internet or power.
Minister reply
Docherty confirms the call for Israel to abide by international humanitarian law and continues to argue strongly that it should show constraint in its pursuit of Hamas’s terrorist operatives.
Apsana Begum
Lab
Poplar and Limehouse
Question
Begum highlights the ongoing collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, especially women and children, described by the UN as unprecedented. She asks Docherty if there is any limit to the number of Palestinians that can be killed before a permanent ceasefire is called for. Begum also questions what the long-term plan for Gaza is.
Minister reply
Docherty clarifies that Hamas’s stated desire to perpetrate another atrocity makes it difficult to achieve a ceasefire, and Israel’s military response must avoid civilian casualties while defending its sovereignty.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
Corbyn accuses Israel of undertaking an act of cleansing the entire population of Gaza, which is illegal under international law. He questions Israel's long-term objective and whether it involves expelling the Gazan population into Egypt.
Minister reply
Docherty asserts that Israel’s objective is to defend itself against Hamas, a terrorist group.
Question
Elliott asks when the British Government will condemn the murder of innocent Palestinian children. She cites 15,000 deaths so far and questions why there has not been a definitive call for an end to this conflict.
Minister reply
Docherty reiterates calls for constraint, restraint, and adherence to humanitarian law.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
Eshalomi references Jason Lee from Save the Children, describing the impact of this conflict on children in Gaza. She asks if working towards a definitive ceasefire is essential for sustainable peace.
Minister reply
Docherty acknowledges the humanitarian impact and states that while a de-escalation is desired, Hamas’s intentions make it challenging to achieve.
Question
Grady asks if the UK Government will contribute to an International Criminal Court investigation into possible breaches of international humanitarian law in Israel and Palestine.
Minister reply
Docherty indicates that while contributions are not planned at this stage, they will continue to monitor developments.
Imran Hussain
Lab
Bradford East
Question
Hussain describes the fate of four premature babies left behind after a hospital evacuation by Israeli military forces. He asks how Docherty can justify that a humanitarian pause helped these infants.
Minister reply
Docherty acknowledges the tragedy and reiterates Hamas’s responsibility for preventing a ceasefire.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham and Chislehurst
Question
Efford accepts that Hamas's infrastructure needs to be dismantled but questions if unrelenting bombing is justified. He asks Docherty if the Government has satisfied themselves about Israeli bombing’s precision.
Minister reply
Docherty states they will continue advocating for restraint and adherence to international humanitarian law.
Yasmin Qureshi
Lab
Bolton South and Walkden
Question
Qureshi quotes the UN Secretary-General, describing unprecedented killing of civilians in Gaza. She provides statistics on deaths, injuries, and displacement, asking when the Government will call for a definitive ceasefire.
Minister reply
Docherty acknowledges the terrible human cost but states that calls continue for a humanitarian pause to allow greater aid flow.
Question
I am a strong advocate of a full and proper ceasefire as a prelude to a wider political process. However, work has to be done to create the conditions for a ceasefire, including the potential provision of security guarantees. What plans do the Government have to discuss with their international partners the creation of some form of peacekeeping or monitoring presence, either on the basis of the United Nations or some form of ad hoc arrangement, in order to provide some form of confidence-building measures?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point. We are certainly using our regional network of diplomacy and diplomatic presence to discuss regional solutions that may involve other Arab states, because the political settlement will depend on long-term and sustainable regional support, whatever the outcome might be.
Tan Dhesi
Lab
Slough
Question
I want to see an end to the violence in Gaza, which is what I recently voted for, along with Labour colleagues. After the end of the fragile ceasefire last week, we desperately need the UK Government to work with international allies and push for peace, with the release of all hostages and an end to the killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians. As winter sets in, does the Minister share my concerns about a potential outbreak of cholera and other waterborne diseases, and the risk of starvation and dehydration? What steps are the Government taking to avert that ongoing crisis?
Minister reply
We are acutely aware of the manifold health risk in Gaza. That is why we have tripled our aid budget, a lot of which will be channelled through OCHA, UNICEF and UNRWA to attend to the risk posed by cholera and other diseases. We continue to push for peace, and a humanitarian pause would be the first step towards that.
Question
On 30 October, the IDF’s evacuation order directed Gaza’s civilians southward, triggering mass internal displacement that the IDF said was for their own safety. On 1 December, the IDF ordered people to leave districts in Khan Yunis, where many had gone for their own safety, saying they were in a “dangerous combat zone”. Given that the IDF military action now stretches from Gaza City in the north to Rafah in the south, does the Minister agree with the UN’s Volker Türk that
“there is no safe place in Gaza”,
and that only a permanent ceasefire can end this collective punishment of the Palestinians?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady makes a good point, but tragically the reason is that Hamas have often sought to embed themselves among civilian infrastructure, and as long as that is the case, tragedy will ensue. The solution is a de-escalation, the defeat of Hamas and, in the first instance, a humanitarian pause to improve humanitarian access.
Marie Rimmer
Lab
St Helens South and Whiston
Question
Allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law should always be treated with the utmost seriousness. Assessing specific allegations is the proper task of lawyers in competent international courts. Does the Minister recognise, with Labour, that the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction must address the conduct of all parties in Gaza?
Minister reply
We have long been on record as calling for all parties to abide by international humanitarian law.
Mohammad Yasin
Lab
Bedford
Question
As the Israeli authorities are now bombing south Gaza—the very area they asked civilians to reach in order to be safe—does the Minister agree that the supply of arms to the Israeli Government must be suspended, given that serious violations amounting to crimes under international law are being committed?
Minister reply
We support, and are on record as supporting, Israel’s right to defend itself, and our relationship with Israel is in accordance with that. That does not mean that we do not at the same time argue for a de-escalation, a humanitarian pause and a return to peace.
Question
The United Nations Children’s Fund says that Gaza is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. France has offered places in its hospitals to treat the most severely injured children. Will the Minister now make a similar offer to the injured children of Gaza?
Minister reply
We need to be supporting children; that is why a significant portion of our humanitarian aid, which we have tripled to £60 billion, will be channelled through UNICEF to attend to the needs of children affected.
Battersea
Question
We know that more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed, 70% of whom are women and children, and there are still thousands unaccounted for under the rubble. The events of the last two days demonstrate that a pause in fighting was never going to be sufficient. I ask the Minister what on earth it will take for his Government to call for a permanent ceasefire on all sides in order to prevent the bombardment of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including not only its hospitals and schools—or what is left of them—but its water facilities.
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is correct that the pause was not sufficient to meet all the humanitarian needs. That does not stop us arguing for a further pause, because of course that is the first step to a more sustainable path towards peace.
Richard Burgon
Lab
Leeds East
Question
I must say that the Minister comes across as a passive observer while the further horror unfolds. I wish he would use his agency and his role, because 1.8 million people in Gaza have been forcibly displaced. People were told to go south to avoid the bombing, but now Israel is indiscriminately bombing areas there. The UN says that
“there is no safe place in Gaza.”
Above all, this is a war on children. How many more children have to die before the Government add their name to the growing list of countries around the world calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire?
Minister reply
I would say gently to the hon. Gentleman that in actuality this is a war on Hamas.
Debbie Abrahams
Lab
Oldham East and Saddleworth
Question
Surely the events of the weekend have shown that a temporary pause or cessation of hostilities is just not enough, and that what we need is a permanent ceasefire, which is what many people, including the British public as a whole, want to see. They want to see the release of hostages and a sustainable, credible political process so that we have a safe and secure Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israeli state, but it has come across in the statement that the Government have absolutely no plan. How many UK citizens and UK visa holders are still awaiting evacuation from Gaza?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady says that one humanitarian pause is not enough. Of course it is not enough; that is why we are arguing for another. That is an important part of our sense of there being a long-term obligation on us all to argue for a sustainable and long-term two-state solution.
Jeff Smith
Lab
Manchester Withington
Question
Without a ceasefire or truce in place, there is no safe zone in Gaza. I have expressed concerns before about the inadequacy of Al-Mawasi as a safe zone without any infrastructure or ability to get aid to innocent civilians. Given that there seems to be no place for people to go and no hope for innocent civilians, does the Minister share my worry that the constant bombardment will drive the besieged people of Gaza into the arms of extremists, and what representations are the Government making to the Israeli Government to express those concerns?
Minister reply
Frankly, the solution would be for Hamas to come out of their tunnels and surrender so that Gaza can return to normality. That is what we hope might happen.
Janet Daby
Lab
Lewisham East
Question
I accept that Hamas are a terrorist organisation, but children, journalists, aid workers and innocent civilians have died and continue to be under threat in Gaza. There is now a potential outbreak of airborne and waterborne diseases. Surely it is now time for the UK Government to finally call for a ceasefire as they work towards the release of all hostages and a political peace process.
Minister reply
The hon. Lady makes a good point about disease. It is why a large portion of the tripled humanitarian fund of £60 million, channelled through the three UN agencies, will be focused on the prevention of contagious diseases.
Justin Madders
Lab
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
Question
We all want the killing to stop, and if we get to a point where there is an end to the violence on a long-term basis, what guarantees can we obtain from the UK Government that the many people who have been displaced will be allowed to return and that there will be sufficient infrastructure in place to ensure that they have something to return to?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes a good point about post-war reconstruction and the return of civilians. Of course, the UK will be at the heart of the international response that will attend to that.
Zarah Sultana
Your Party
Coventry South
Question
Madam Deputy Speaker:
“A night of utterly relentless bombardments”—
the worst of the war so far. Those are the words of a UNICEF spokesperson this morning in Khan Yunis in the south of Gaza, where 1.8 million Palestinians are now trapped as Israeli bombs rain down on them. They were ordered to flee the north, and they are now being slaughtered in the south. Nowhere is safe in Gaza. As even UN experts warn of the grave risk of genocide, the UK Government continue to give their full support to Israel, calling for pauses in the slaughter but not a permanent ceasefire and an end to the slaughter. Is the Minister happy to be part of a Government so deeply complicit in the horrors being inflicted on the Palestinian people?
Minister reply
We continue to be forthright in our support for the absolute right of Israel to defend its people and its sovereignty. The tragedy that has unfolded following the Hamas terrorist abomination on 7 October of course brings pain to all sides, but we will continue to be forthright in our commitment to Israel’s security and, ultimately, I hope, to Palestinian statehood, in a long-term and sustainable peace in the middle east.
Toby Perkins
Lab
Chesterfield
Question
Many of us absolutely recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, and that Hamas and their approach are a barrier to a lasting peace solution, but we also absolutely despair that the Government’s calls for restraint are being so ignored by the Israeli Government. Does the Minister agree that the international community needs to make it absolutely clear to every combatant in the conflict that the International Criminal Court is watching and people will be held to account for their conduct? His saying, “We call for humanitarian law to be followed” is simply not enough. People will be held to account for their conduct in this war.
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is stating the fact of the matter: international humanitarian law, which we expect all sides to follow, is there to be upheld.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is escalating, with a rising disease burden. The MP asks what discussions the Minister has had with international bodies to put in place a ceasefire and improve medical support.
Minister reply
The Minister states that they are arguing for an increased flow of humanitarian support and medical supplies through various routes, including possibly via sea.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Question
Many constituents ask the MP to urge the Government to take action towards securing a ceasefire in Gaza. The MP asks what recent discussions the Foreign Secretary has had to encourage Israel to comply with international law.
Minister reply
The Foreign Secretary has been active, recently visiting Israel and emphasising the need to limit the humanitarian impact of the conflict.
James Murray
Lab Co-op
Ealing North
Question
In Gaza, civilians are facing a humanitarian catastrophe. The MP asks for more detail on what the UK Government is doing to urge Israel not to besiege or blockade Gaza and protect innocent lives.
Minister reply
The Minister highlights that all sides must comply with international humanitarian law, stating there cannot be a military solution to political problems in the Middle East, and expressing hope for de-escalation and peace.
Shadow Comment
Lisa Nandy
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Minister urges the Government to continue pushing for a cessation of hostilities and the release of hostages, criticising the absence of statements from senior officials. She raises concerns about aid reaching safe zones and the spread of diseases in Gaza during winter. She calls for more urgent action on humanitarian assistance and the appointment of a coordinator as done by the US. The Labour Party advocates for an end to illegal settlements and settler violence, urging plans for reconstruction and peace with security guarantees.
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