Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Palestine: International Humanitarian Law

Tuesday 20 January 2026 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK has made significant policy determinations in the Middle East following the ICJ ruling and UN General Assembly deadline.
  • The UK continues to carefully consider the ICJ's advisory opinion on Israel's occupation, agreeing with parts of it.
  • The UK will continue to take action as outlined by the Foreign Secretary to address ongoing issues in Gaza.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ian Lavery Lab Blyth and Ashington
Foreign Affairs
Context

Following the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion ruling that Israeli occupation and settlements are illegal, and the UN General Assembly giving Israel a 12-month deadline to end its unlawful presence which has since expired.

Question

In July 2024, the ICJ ruled that the Israeli occupation and settlements were illegal and must be ended and dismantled. Then, in September 2024, the UN General Assembly gave Israel a 12-month deadline to end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which has now lapsed by more than four months. Why have the Government still not published their response to the ICJ advisory opinion? Is there something that we do not know, but perhaps should?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer)

In that period, the UK has made a range of significant determinations in relation to our policy in the middle east. Of course, we continue to consider the Court’s advisory opinion on Israel’s occupation carefully. There is lots in that advisory opinion with which we agree, and which is, indeed, already Government policy. We agree that settlements are illegal, and we have already taken strong action against them. Since this Government came into office, we have introduced three packages of sanctions related to violence against communities in the west bank, and we continue to keep these matters under review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific request for a published response was not directly addressed; instead, general actions taken by the government were mentioned without providing concrete details on why no official response has been issued.

How: Under Review, Already Government Policy

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Q2 Iqbal Mohamed Ind Dewsbury and Batley
Foreign Affairs
Context

Since a recent ceasefire came into effect, over 450 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. UNICEF reports that over 100 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza since October.

Question

Since the recent ceasefire came into effect, over 450 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. UNICEF reports that over 100 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza since 10 October. Israeli airstrikes are ongoing, and the mental and physical torture and violence continue unabated. What action will the UK Government take to force Israel to comply with international law and allow essential humanitarian aid into Gaza, and make the ceasefire a real one?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer)

I know how deeply so many of our constituents and, indeed, Members of this House feel about these issues, and how often they raise them. We will continue to take action in the way that the Foreign Secretary set out this morning. It is vital that the ceasefire holds, and that we make progress in the three areas set out already, and that is the priority for Ministers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask was not directly addressed; instead, general commitments to continue taking action were stated without providing concrete steps or timelines.

How: Under Review, Keeping Matters Under Consideration

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