Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Gaza: Ceasefire

Tuesday 2 September 2025 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Matt Turmaine raised concerns about the conflict in Gaza, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
  • Torcuil Crichton highlighted the dangers faced by journalists in Gaza, noting over 189 killed since October 2023, calling for their protection.
  • Josh Newbury addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, mentioning the blockage of aid and the onset of famine, alongside concerns about settler violence in the West Bank.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Turmaine Lab Watford
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP notes that his constituency of Watford is ethnically diverse and constituents are concerned about the conflict in Gaza.

Question

My constituency of Watford is a richly ethnically diverse community. When I speak to residents there about the conflict in Gaza, the overwhelming desire is for the killing to stop, for the hostages to be released and for the people of Gaza to be able to live in peace. Will the Secretary of State further outline what steps the Government are taking to aid international efforts to broker the ceasefire and what is frustrating it?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr David Lammy)

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. Diplomacy, not bloodshed, is how we get security for both Israelis and Palestinians, and getting to a ceasefire is the immediate priority. I will be in the region again in the coming days, discussing with them the Prime Minister’s framework for peace, which is the only plan, and how we govern Gaza and move forward once we get to that ceasefire, building a consensus around a sustainable end to the conflict.

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Q2 Torcuil Crichton Lab Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Foreign Affairs Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP highlights the danger faced by journalists covering the conflict in Gaza, with over 189 journalists killed since October 2023.

Question

I reiterate the concerns raised last night by my fellow journalist and hon. Friend the Member for Earley and Woodley (Yuan Yang) in highlighting Gaza as the deadliest war for journalists. Over 189 have been killed since October 2023, despite reporters being categorised as protected civilians under international law. Israel seems set on a deadly campaign to silence journalists in Gaza while refusing entry to other international journalists. Can the Secretary of State join me in condemning that strategy and in paying tribute to those who are risking their lives to get news out of Gaza, and also commend our own domestic broadcasters—including the much-maligned BBC—for keeping us informed on what is going on there?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr David Lammy)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for bringing this matter to the House’s attention. I strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists, and call on the Israeli authorities to make every effort to ensure that media workers across the region can conduct their work freely and safely. Deliberate targeting of journalists is entirely unacceptable. International humanitarian law offers protection to civilian journalists during any armed conflicts, and those laws should be abided by.

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Q3 Josh Newbury Lab Cannock Chase
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP raises concerns about the blockage of humanitarian aid to Gaza, leading to famine conditions, and settler violence in the West Bank.

Question

The world has watched in horror as humanitarian aid has been blocked from reaching Gaza, leading to a famine that is claiming the lives of those who survived the bombs. Meanwhile, in the west bank, the Israeli Government turn a blind eye to rampant settler violence and openly approve new settlements that could end the very possibility of a two-state solution. Can the Foreign Secretary assure the House that he is doing everything he can, not only to end the mass killing but to secure a lasting peace between two equal states in Israel and Palestine?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr David Lammy)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. The confirmation of famine is utterly horrifying. I am appalled by the shocking levels of settler violence, and I have been clear that Israel must clamp down on that violence. The Government have introduced three rounds of sanctions related to settler violence, including the July sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for the incitement of violence against Palestinian communities.

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Q4 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs made a statement the previous day emphasizing the necessity for peace through the release of hostages and the ousting of Hamas from Gaza. This context is crucial as it sets the backdrop for further clarification on these points.

Question

Yesterday, the Secretary of State was very clear that if we want peace, we must ensure that the hostages are released. If we want peace, we must ensure that Hamas are ousted from Gaza. If that happens, we will have a peace that will last. I know that he is committed to that, for he said so yesterday, but will he reiterate that for the Chamber and those who are here?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr David Lammy)

The hon. Gentleman knows a lot about standing up to terrorists. Hamas are a proscribed organisation. There can be no role for Hamas. We need the total demilitarisation of Gaza. Those leaders who are there must leave and exit the country so that the Palestinian people can be freed from the plight of what Hamas are raining down on them.

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