Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Israel and Palestine

Tuesday 12 December 2023 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister responded that the UK is doing everything possible to help hostages return home through negotiations and overflights.
  • The Prime Minister reiterated during the COP that Israel has the right to self-defence but must operate within international humanitarian law.
  • The Government supports the two-state solution and agrees with the United States that Gaza should be under Palestinian control in due course.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with a focus on Israel's military operations in Gaza.

Question

Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Israel's campaign against Hamas. The Minister will have access to intelligence—ours and that of our allies—that he may not be in a position to share with the House. Will he therefore share his understanding of the effectiveness of Israel's campaign to weaken and eliminate Hamas and return the hostages, given the appalling and unacceptable loss of innocent Palestinian life—thousands and thousands of children have been maimed and killed—given the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, given that more than 100 Israeli hostages remain in captivity there, and given that Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel every day?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

We are doing everything we can to help the hostages to whom she referred and to ensure that they come home. We do that through negotiations, not least in Qatar, and through the overflights, which I referred to earlier.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific understanding of the effectiveness of Israel's campaign against Hamas was not provided.

How: We Are Doing Everything We Can

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Q2 Fleur Anderson Lab Putney
Foreign Affairs
Context

Recent Israeli military operations in Gaza have led to significant civilian casualties, with 61% of deaths being civilians.

Question

The aerial bombardment by Israel of one of the most densely populated regions in the world in Gaza has been devastating. Recent statistics reported in Israel show that 61% of deaths in Gaza have been civilians. When the Prime Minister spoke to the Israeli Prime Minister last week, did he urge him to stop besieging and blockading Gaza, to comply with international law, which must mean being proportionate, and to protect innocent lives?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The hon. Member is right. At the COP, the Prime Minister was able to have meetings with Qatar, Egypt and Jordan, as well as with Israel, and he reiterated the point that he has made publicly before, which is that Israel has the right to self-defence, but it must operate within international humanitarian law.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly confirm if PM urged specific actions during his conversation.

How: Reiterated Public Statements

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Q3 David Linden SNP
Foreign Affairs
Context

The Minister advocates for a two-state solution but the Government does not recognise Palestine.

Question

The Minister talks about the need for a two-state solution, and we will not find much disagreement on that, but how can he advocate a two-state solution when the Government refuse to recognise the state of Palestine? Is he confident that there will be much left of Palestine after Israel's continued bombardment?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The Government strongly support the two-state solution. Of course, before these terrible events on 7 October, there were new partnerships with Israel developing across the middle east: one thinks in particular of the Emirates and Bahrain.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly address how to advocate for a two-state solution without recognising Palestine.

How: Referring To Pre-Existing Partnerships

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Q4 Chris Clarkson
Context

The single best solution for peace in the region is a two-state solution, but there are kidnappers, murderers and rapists involved.

Question

Notwithstanding the attempted genocide of 7 October and the cynical use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, the single best solution for peace in the region is a two-state solution. What steps are the Government taking to facilitate that?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

Yes. We certainly agree with the United States that Gaza should be under Palestinian control in due course and that there is no place for Hamas in all of that.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps being taken towards a two-state solution.

How: Agreed With Us Stance

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Q5 Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Foreign Affairs
Context

The conflict in Gaza continues, with significant humanitarian impact.

Question

Will he share his understanding of the effectiveness of Israel's campaign to weaken and eliminate Hamas and return the hostages?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

We are doing everything we can to help the hostages to whom she referred and to ensure that they come home. We do that through negotiations, not least in Qatar, and through the overflights, which I referred to earlier.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not share understanding of campaign effectiveness.

How: We Are Doing Everything We Can

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