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Israel and Hamas: Humanitarian Pause
27 November 2023
Lead MP
Andrew Mitchell
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Foreign AffairsParliamentary Procedure
Other Contributors: 50
At a Glance
Andrew Mitchell raised concerns about israel and hamas: humanitarian pause 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 tragedy is unfolding in the middle east, with Israel suffering its worst terror attack and Palestinians experiencing a humanitarian crisis. The UK Government announced £30 million of additional humanitarian assistance on November 24th, tripling the aid budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories this year. A fourth UK aircraft carrying 23 tonnes of aid arrived in Egypt during the current ceasefire agreement, bringing the total to 74 tonnes. This pause is crucial for providing relief and must be sustained. The government supports a two-state solution and will continue international co-operation towards lasting peace.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
Question
Holding the Government to account is a sacred duty. However, with Lord Cameron's absence, progress on questioning the Foreign Secretary has been questioned. The Minister was asked about the work of Qatar, Egypt, USA and Red Cross during the ceasefire and if there is agreement that resuming hostilities would be detrimental.
Minister reply
Agrees with the shadow’s desire to extend the cessation of hostilities and acknowledges the importance of scrutiny but highlights Lord Cameron's role in foreign policy discussions.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Stamford
Question
The UK's priority is security and stability. Netanyahu plans to fund expansions of settlements by over $80 million, which risks the truce and hostages' release. The MP inquires about measures taken against Israel’s actions.
Minister reply
Acknowledges Israel must comply with international humanitarian law, prosecute those involved in settler violence, and delivers tough messages to all sides.
Question
Questions the only way for lasting peace is through a two-state solution, asking if the Government supports full support from the International Criminal Court. He also requests an urgent meeting with the Home Secretary regarding getting UK nationals out of Gaza during a ceasefire.
Minister reply
Refers to the Lord Chancellor’s position on the ICC; emphasises the importance of future thinking and adherence to the arms export regime.
Tobias Ellwood
Con
Newton Abbot
Question
During this lull in fighting, the whole House wants to see as many hostages as possible released and as much aid as possible getting in, but both sides are committed to recommence fighting. Does my right hon. Friend think it is time to call for a demilitarisation of Gaza in the longer term, and to consider future governance, security and humanitarian plans? Will he consider a joint summit with the United States, bringing together all the stakeholders to look at the long-term implications of this conflict?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of looking to the medium and the long term, and of doing all that is necessary to bring together people of good will to make progress on the two-state solution. We want to see all hostages released as swiftly as possible, and we also want to see greater volumes of food, fuel, medicine and life-saving supplies getting into Gaza, principally through Rafah but also through any other plausible means.
Tony Lloyd
Lab
Manchester Central
Question
Is it the Government’s contention that further hostilities—the destruction of the south of Gaza in the way we have seen the north destroyed, with tens of thousands more killed—will lead easily to a permanent ceasefire, or will it simply embolden the militants?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is right about the very worrying position that exists in the south of Gaza at the moment. He will have seen that the United Nations and others are considering islands of deconfliction, particularly around Khan Yunis, including safe zones in order to dispense aid. But, like me, he will be very aware of the dangers experienced in other safe zones in the past, and the risks for civilians who are involved in them.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
How can a two-state solution, which everybody says they want—everybody in this Chamber, at any rate—ever come to pass while Hamas remains in control of the Gaza strip?
Minister reply
I do not think that anybody thinks that Hamas are going to remain in charge of the Gaza strip in the medium term, or anything longer than that.
Stephen Timms
Lab
East Ham
Question
The prospect of the carnage simply resuming at the end of this pause is a really dreadful one. What is the Minister’s assessment of the likelihood that the ceasefire might be made permanent if, over a period of some further days, all the hostages are released?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman will have seen the statements by the Israeli Government about the number of hostages to be released and the possibility of extending the pause in that respect. The view of the British Government is that we should do everything we can to ensure the hostages are released as speedily as possible. The longer that this pause continues, the greater chance there is for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza and for progress to be made.
Michael Ellis
Con
Canterbury
Question
Does my right hon. Friend agree that any ceasefire continuing should be linked to the release of more hostages? Is he concerned that Hamas are breaking the agreement in several ways, including by separating parents and their children when releasing one but not the other? They have not even allowed the Red Cross to visit all remaining hostages, which has been a rule in conflict for over 100 years. Is he not concerned about these breaches?
Minister reply
I am immensely concerned about the fate of all the hostages. As my right hon. and learned Friend will know, there were originally about 240 hostages, and as of midnight last night 58 hostages have managed to get out. At the same time, 117 prisoners have been released by the Israeli Government. The sooner that all the hostages are out, the better.
Margaret Hodge
Lab
Barking
Question
Like others, I felt a real sense of relief watching some of the hostages who emerged and were reunited with their families yesterday. The Minister said that this pause could turn into a one-off; it need not. I know the issues are incredibly complicated and I know it is only through international intervention that we will make progress, but could he tell us what steps are being taken not to get to a two-state solution at this point, but to start a peace process between the warring factions that will eventually, one would hope, lead to a two-state solution? What steps are being taken now by international bodies?
Minister reply
I thank the right hon. Lady for her question. She speaks with great wisdom on these matters. I can tell her that the discussions to which she refers are going on throughout the region and internationally. Britain is playing a proper part, not least by the visit last week of the Foreign Secretary to the region.
Andrew Selous
Con
South West Bedfordshire
Question
I very much hope we can extend the humanitarian pause. The Minister, as a former serviceman, like me, will know that the United Kingdom armed forces make extraordinary efforts to avoid civilian casualties, even when targeting terrorists embedded in civilian areas—a point that has been made very forcefully to me by veterans in recent days—so will the United Kingdom carry on very clearly calling on Israel to follow similar standard operating procedures?
Minister reply
Yes, and the Foreign Secretary, during his visit to Israel, made precisely that point.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
The pause is obviously welcome because it will save lives. The horror of 7 October has not gone away. The disaster of the killing of 14,000 people in Gaza has not gone away. There has to be a recognition, as António Guterres has pointed out, of the underlying issue, which is the occupation of the west bank and the settlement policy, and the violence that so many Palestinians have had to put up with for decades and decades. Does the Minister believe there is a role now for the United Nations to do more to try to bring about not just a ceasefire, but a long-term peace that will involve the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestine?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman will know that there is always a role for the United Nations, but it has to be adapted to the circumstances. What he says about a ceasefire, which I have heard him say before, is fettered by the fact that Hamas have made it perfectly clear that they do not want a ceasefire. They want to repeat what they did on 7 October, the day of those terrible events. To have a ceasefire, we have to have two sides that want a ceasefire, and that is clearly not available on this occasion.
James Sunderland
Lab
Workington
Question
The conflict in the middle east is tragic, complex and, sadly, protracted. While the House is broadly aligned on the need to defeat Hamas, could the Minister please reassure me of the efforts being undertaken to urge restraint among all protagonists in the protection of civilians and non-combatants in Gaza?
Minister reply
Britain has been very clear about the importance of respecting international humanitarian law in all circumstances.
Ian Paisley Jnr
DUP
North Antrim
Question
The Minister must be concerned by those who seek to play down what has actually happened to innocent Israelis in the middle east. He must be gutted and alarmed that Leo Varadkar, the Prime Minister of a neighbouring state of ours, described one of the victims, an eight-year-old girl who was kidnapped and abused, as “lost”. That is unbelievable. Is the Minister concerned by the ever-increasing extremism and the anti-NATO and antisemitic attitudes emanating now from the Republic of Ireland? Is he going to have a word with that country about its attitude?
Minister reply
The Government have been absolutely clear on where we stand on antisemitism and Islamophobia: we condemn both without qualification and will continue to do so.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
As the Minister knows, there has been no pause in violence in the west bank, whose largely defenceless population has been subjected over a number of months now to a campaign of what the Americans and French have referred to as “terror”. The Minister says he is asking tough questions and delivering tough messages to both sides, but when will those tough messages turn into tough action? The Americans have already said they will institute visa bans against those settlers who are perpetrating violence, but we have been talking about this for years to little or no effect. Given the centrality of achieving a two-state solution, is there not a strong case for us to take firm action against settlers, those who arm them and those who support them?
Minister reply
On his visit last week, the Foreign Secretary delivered very strong messages, when he was in Ramallah and when he saw the Israeli Government, about the importance of stopping settler violence and ensuring that people are put before the courts and punished—that if the perpetrators of settler violence were identified, they could be put before the courts.
Chi Onwurah
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
Question
The release of hostages and the increase in humanitarian aid is very much to be welcomed, but I am sure the Minister and the House agree that only a political solution can bring about a lasting peace. In that spirit, will he support Labour’s calls for a new middle east envoy? Also, I was not quite clear from his answer to the Chair of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, so will he say that the UK state condemns and is utterly opposed to the settlements?
Minister reply
The position of the British Government on the illegal settlements is absolutely clear. On the possibility of having an envoy, a whole range of different envoys are engaged in this, but if it was appropriate for us to deploy an envoy on behalf of the Government—either a humanitarian or political envoy around the region—we would have no hesitation in doing so.
David Jones
Con
Clwyd West
Question
Despite the pause over the last few days, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and is likely to continue to be catastrophic. While no one doubts the right of Israel to defend itself, the fact is that it is an occupying power and as such has clear legal obligations to the civilians of Gaza, so when my right hon. Friend next speaks to his Israeli opposite number will he remind him of those obligations and ensure that even after the pause ends sufficient aid is allowed to get through to the population of Gaza?
Minister reply
We are doing everything we can through the United Nations and other contacts in the region to ensure that aid and support gets through to those who need it so desperately in Gaza, and my right hon. Friend may rest assured that we will continue to do that.
Diane Abbott
Ind
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Question
The massacre by Hamas on 7 October is completely indefensible, but since then no fewer than 5,500 Gaza children have died and hundreds more are missing. The Secretary-General of the UN said Gaza is a graveyard for children and most recently the executive director of UNICEF has said that pauses are not enough and only a ceasefire will save children. When are the Government going to use their good offices to press both sides for a ceasefire?
Minister reply
Regardless of whether the right hon. Lady’s figures are correct, we know there has been an appalling loss of civilian life in Gaza. The British Government will continue to press for humanitarian pauses and build on them.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
The release of some hostages is welcome but the price is that Israel has released many Palestinian prisoners held for terror offences in exchange for civilians. Does my right hon. Friend agree this should be a concern to the world and we must continue to stand with Israel against terror?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend's point about reoffending underlines the importance of pursuing every possible way of getting on to a political track when violence diminishes.
Question
Can the Minister reassure the House that Israel will not take land in Gaza and Palestinians will be allowed back to their homes, particularly given 1.7 million out of 2.3 million people have been displaced?
Minister reply
The hon. and learned Lady is right about the contentious issue of land; it aligns with British Government policy.
Alec Shelbrooke
Con
Wetherby and Easingwold
Question
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the pogrom on 7 October, followed by high levels of antisemitism in the UK and abroad, shows why Israel has a right to exist and defend itself?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend is correct; what happened was a pogrom leading to the worst loss of Jewish life since World War II.
Jess Phillips
Lab
Birmingham Yardley
Question
On his answer regarding displaced Gazans, can he state explicitly that UK Government policy is every displaced Gazan must be allowed to return to their lands?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady's remarks are appreciated; it is the British Government’s policy that those displaced should be able to return to their area.
Question
Not a single litre of fuel has reached Gaza City, likely due to misappropriation. Why does the Minister think international aid distribution can be trusted with Hamas?
Minister reply
We are extremely careful about aid distribution and only work through trusted partners.
Wendy Chamberlain
Lib Dem
North East Fife
Question
Regarding a constituent’s five-year-old daughter in Gaza, can she travel with her grandmother into Egypt for reunification under FCDO support?
Minister reply
It is unwise to give granular advice from the Dispatch Box but the Minister will speak afterwards to address the situation.
Question
I welcome remarks about aid and note care taken to ensure British aid reaches its intended target. Given what we know about theft and misappropriation of aid in Gaza, who ensures on-ground that British aid is not taken by Hamas terrorists?
Minister reply
We do everything possible to ensure aid gets to those in need without dealing with either PA or the Hamas civil administration.
Mohammad Yasin
Lab
Bedford
Question
Does the Minister share concerns about Netanyahu's comments and the further loss of life? How many more Palestinian children must die before a permanent ceasefire is called?
Minister reply
Israel has the right to defend itself under international law, but civilians and hospitals must be protected.
Question
The discovery of a tunnel from Shifa Hospital shows Hamas using civilians as human shields. Will the Minister condemn this activity and confirm continued support for Israel’s fight against Hamas?
Minister reply
Yes.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
I call for a pause to transition into a ceasefire. What discussions have the Minister and Foreign Secretary had about opening corridors for humanitarian aid in Gaza?
Minister reply
We are in those discussions; the Foreign Secretary discussed other means of access into Gaza when he was in the region.
Question
Boltonians ask: When can all sides simply hit the stop button and bring about a ceasefire? If hostilities resume, what representations are made to try to stop them moving south?
Minister reply
The Government are doing everything possible to progress both humanitarian pauses and ceasefire discussions.
Question
I welcome words that the Foreign Secretary is exploring other crossings for aid into Gaza. If hostilities resume, what representations are being made to stop them moving south?
Minister reply
We are conscious of the situation in the south and working with partners to make aid distribution as safe as possible.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
75% of Palestinians support Hamas atrocities and refuse coexistence with Israel. Given prisoners are being released, does the Minister accept there is a risk that Hamas will dominate Gaza and West Bank?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend's comment underlines the importance of pursuing a political track as soon as possible.
Barbara Keeley
Lab
Worsley and Eccles South
Question
I want to talk about the plight of women in Gaza, which a constituent raised with me. Every day, 180 women in Gaza give birth, most without water, painkillers, anaesthesia for caesarean sections, medical supplies or electricity for incubators. With more than 5,000 women expected to give birth in Gaza next month, will the Minister join Labour in calling for Israel to protect hospitals in Gaza and allow continued access to medicine, food, water and electricity to protect those women and newborns during birth?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is right to draw attention to the very large numbers of women who are seeking to give birth in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. We are conscious of that in the aid and humanitarian supplies that we are making available.
Vicky Ford
Con
Castle Point
Question
It has been extremely moving to see hostages starting to come out and aid starting to flow in. I hope that the truce will hold, but if the hostilities start again, please can the UK Government make every representation to Israel that, in its legitimate efforts to stop the terrorism, it must do more to prevent mass loss of civilian life, especially children?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend speaks with experience and wisdom, and the answer is yes.
Kevin Brennan
Lab
Cardiff West
Question
My constituent Adam Abu Warda has close family in Gaza and is extremely anxious that they should have the opportunity to get out and come to the UK. What is the Government’s policy on our constituents wishing to get their very close family out of Gaza to bring them to the UK?
Minister reply
We are seeking, within the rules the hon. Gentleman will be aware of, to facilitate, in every way we can, those people leaving Gaza.
Andrew Percy
Con
Brigg and Goole
Question
Three weeks ago today, my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Dr Offord) and I were at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where we saw and heard things we will never forget, and where the smell of rotting blood and flesh was still pungent in the air, such was the butchery not only of Hamas but Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the thousands of Gazan civilians who streamed into the kibbutzim afterwards. Will the Minister, in his dealings with the Palestinian Authority, encourage them to deal with their issues of extremism?
Minister reply
I can tell my hon. Friend that the British Government are doing everything they can to address the issues behind what he says.
Ben Bradshaw
Lab
Exeter
Question
What is the Minister’s understanding and assessment of the Netanyahu Government’s medium and long-term strategy for the Gaza strip?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman, who is extremely experienced in these matters, will draw his conclusions from what the Israeli Government are saying, just as the British Government do.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
Now that the welcome temporary pause is under way, what steps are the UK Government taking to press to ensure that it becomes an enduring ceasefire as soon as possible? Are the UK Government being clear with the Israeli Government that, as they seek to continue in their legitimate aim of destroying Hamas, a return to the relentless bombardment, the razing of Gaza and the indiscriminate killing of civilians is not acceptable, proportionate or within international law?
Minister reply
As the hon. Lady will know, Israel has an absolute right to self-defence.
Stella Creasy
Lab/Co-op
Walthamstow
Question
Nobody can help but be moved by the sight of hostages being released. This weekend, the Minister for Immigration said that the UK Government will not rest until each and every one of them is back in the loving embrace of their families. It has been more than a month since anybody at all from the UK Government has had any contact with the UK citizens who have family members as hostages—not a single phone call. Please, can the Minister listen to those UK citizens asking their Government, ‘What are you doing to help get my family released?’ and arrange that meeting as an urgent matter?
Minister reply
My understanding is not the same as the hon. Lady’s in respect of the British hostages.
Jeff Smith
Lab
Manchester Withington
Question
Does the Minister agree that we cannot accept civilians being ordered to flee into areas that are then subject to bombardment? Does he share the concerns of the UN and the World Health Organisation about the proposals for a safe zone with no infrastructure, which will cause more problems down the line?
Minister reply
There are very serious problems with safe zones.
Steve McCabe
Lab
Solihull
Question
I welcome the pause, with hostages released and aid delivered, and I hope that it continues. If this drip, drip of hostage release is to continue, surely more must be done to ratchet up the pressure and ensure that the Red Cross and the Red Crescent gain access to the hostages about whom we have no information. Is that not a priority now?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is, of course, right: it is a priority.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Question
Does the Minister agree that we cannot return to the indiscriminate destruction of Gaza and the lives of Palestinian civilians? Is he urging on the Israeli Government the need to find a means of removing the threat from Hamas that does not cost the lives of thousands of women, children and other non-combatants?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman speaks with wisdom about the position of civilians.
Patrick Grady
SNP
Glasgow North
Question
Despite the four-day truce, there remains a humanitarian emergency in Gaza. We cannot return to the indiscriminate and unprecedented killing that we have seen take place on such a horrific scale over the last seven weeks; we need to see a lasting, permanent ceasefire. Will the Government use the UK’s influence at this crucial moment to secure the ceasefire?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman will know that we are doing everything we can to ensure that the aid and support to which he has referred reaches those who need it.
Imran Hussain
Lab
Bradford East
Question
Despite the four-day truce, there remains a humanitarian emergency in Gaza. We cannot return to the indiscriminate and unprecedented killing that we have seen take place on such a horrific scale over the last seven weeks; we need to see a lasting, permanent ceasefire. Will the Government use the UK’s influence at this crucial moment to secure the ceasefire?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman will know that we are doing everything we can to ensure that the aid and support to which he has referred reaches those who need it.
Birmingham Erdington
Question
Does the Minister agree that to prevent a catastrophic outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera, we need to see fresh water flowing and sanitation and hygiene supplies being delivered on a large scale, alongside key public health and medical support?
Minister reply
Those are indeed the supplies that are necessary to stop the situation that the hon. Lady described developing further. There is a very real risk of waterborne diseases and cholera breaking out in Gaza, and that is why we are diligently pursuing the humanitarian policies I have set out in every way we can.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Question
No one would wish to withhold the aid that has been given to the innocent civilians—who, let’s face it, are only suffering because of a war instigated by Hamas terrorists—but does the Minister agree that this cynical drip-feed release of hostages is a further act of terror by Hamas and that the pauses in the fighting will be used by them to regroup and rearm? Will he give me a reassurance that our Government will not fall into the trap of acceding to Hamas’s incessant demands for indefinite pauses, rather than allowing the Israeli Government to do what they need to do, which is to engage in security action to destroy Hamas in their own dens?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman underlines the fact that Israel has every right to exercise its self-defence in rooting out the Hamas terrorists and murderers. The British Government are very clear that what he has said about that is absolutely right.
Question
Given that Hamas have been crystal clear that they have no intention of ever wanting a permanent ceasefire, what discussions have been had with the Palestinian Authority to build its capacity and competence, to ensure the transition to a two-state solution?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments about Hamas and the ceasefire, with which I completely agree. In respect of building Palestinian capacity, he will know that Lord Cameron was in Ramallah last week discussing that and many other associated matters with President Abbas, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister there.
Question
I was incredibly relieved to get my constituent’s family, 13 of them, across the border and home through Egypt. I pay tribute to the staff in the consular section who supported them, but the support was patchy and the cost of them returning was over £5,000 on commercial flights. What more can the Minister do to supercharge that consular support and to reimburse those families who had to come home on commercial flights? Would he consider meeting my constituent’s family to learn the lessons that they have experienced of having to flee in the middle of a bombardment?
Minister reply
I will certainly be pleased to arrange for Foreign Office officials to meet the hon. Lady’s constituent’s family if she believes that there are lessons to be learned, but I also want to pay a special tribute to all the men and women who work in the emergency centre at the Foreign Office, who have often been working through the night throughout this emergency and have done so with huge diligence, tenacity and commitment.
James Murray
Lab Co-op
Ealing North
Question
As many other Members have made clear, a two-state solution is critical to a lasting peace. So, given the announcements made today, can the Minister make clear the UK’s complete opposition to illegal settlements in the west bank?
Minister reply
The position of the British Government—and, I believe, the Opposition—is one of complete opposition to illegal settlements.
Question
Many of us believe that a humanitarian pause is inadequate, as Israeli aggression continues unabated, but that would be as nothing in terms of a failure to support a ceasefire if Britain were to be complicit in any way with Israeli aggression. Can the Minister give us an assurance that the base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus is not being used by the US military to supply Israel, and that British military and intelligence sites in Cyprus will likewise not be used to support Israel or America in this conflict?
Minister reply
I think the hon. Gentleman confuses the role of the British Government, which has been set out clearly by the Prime Minister and by me in the House. He will also know that when it comes to the use of intelligence assets and so forth, we do not discuss those matters across the Floor of the House.
Richard Foord
Lib Dem
Honiton and Sidmouth
Question
It was welcome this weekend to see the release of Israeli child hostages. It was also welcome a moment ago to hear the Minister talk about a possible two-day extension to the pause in fighting. We heard two weeks ago from the Israeli Foreign Minister, who said: “Israel has some two or three weeks until international pressure seriously begins to increase”. He said that the pressure was “not particularly high” but was increasing. Given that the Israeli Government were not feeling pressured internationally a fortnight ago, how can the Minister be sure that the pressure from the UK Government is being felt now, so that the rules of engagement of the Israel Defence Forces will distinguish between terrorists and civilians?
Minister reply
The people who serve in the Israel Defence Forces are taught, as part of their basic training, the importance of abiding by international humanitarian law. I would contrast the Israel Defence Forces, who seek to defend Israeli citizens, with Hamas, who seek to use their citizens to defend Hamas.
Shadow Comment
David Lammy
Shadow Comment
Grateful for the urgent question, David Lammy praised the ceasefire but expressed concern over its duration and urged for an extension to ensure more aid and release of hostages. He emphasised the need for a durable political solution and cautioned against returning to pre-ceasefire conditions, highlighting the importance of the two-state solution for lasting peace.
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