Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, published on 19 May 2025, and the Answer of 10 December 2024 to Question 16737 on Gaza: Israel, whether his Department's assessment of Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law included whether genocide had been committed.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's long-standing policy is that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process.
Our International Humanitarian Law assessments address Israel's record of compliance across four domains: the conduct of hostilities; forced displacement; provision and facilitation of humanitarian relief; and the treatment of detainees.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received unsolicited correspondence from legal experts on the legality of the Israeli blockade on the delivery of aid to the population of Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government received an open letter concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory on the 26 May 2025 from signatories comprising lawyers, legal academic and former judges who are UK-based or qualified.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 51909 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, what the response of the Israeli ambassador was to the Government's positions that (a) it stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, (b) Israel's plan for aid delivery is wholly inadequate and (c) a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza should take place immediately.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Israeli ambassador has been left in no doubt about the UK's position. On 20 May, I summoned the ambassador to express the UK's firm opposition to Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza and its wholly inadequate aid delivery plan. I also demanded the immediate, full and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid. The UK made clear that failure to act risks further international isolation. The Foreign Secretary has said that unless Israel lifts restrictions and halts its offensive, the UK alongside international partners will take further concrete action.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question 53142 on Gaza: Famine, what assessment his Department has made of the causes of (a) famine and (b) starvation risk in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) snapshot report, which found that the whole of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine and that half a million people are facing starvation. The Full IPC Special Report, to be issued shortly, will contain further analysis. We support the IPC's recommendations aiming to avoid Gaza descending into famine, including an end to hostilities, humanitarian access, the protection of aid workers, civilians and civilian infrastructure, multi-sectoral interventions, and commercial supply and essential services restored at scale. We continue to push for these measures along with our partners.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to help enable humanitarian aid to reach people in Tawila, fleeing Zamzam camp in Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns the continued violence in and around El Fasher and Zamzam camp which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 500 people and has displaced over 403,000 people from the camp. In response to the deteriorating humanitarian context in El Fasher, the UK will provide £2 million in funding through the Mercy Corps-led cash consortium which will help to deliver urgent cash-based assistance to vulnerable communities. Sustained engagement and advocacy are also vital to ensure food and humanitarian supplies are not blocked from reaching regions such as Tawila. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement following the attacks calling for the warring parties to ensure humanitarian actors are provided with the security guarantees needed to deliver aid rapidly and safely. This followed the UN Security Council statement, released on 16 April, condemning the escalation of violence and calling for the parties to urgently implement UN Security Council Resolution 2736.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure (a) the safety of humanitarian workers and (b) the delivery of humanitarian aid in Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian delivery into and across the country. During last month's London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people. Sudan remains an extremely perilous context for humanitarian personnel. Nearly 100 humanitarian aid workers have been killed since the conflict started in April 2023. To protect civilians including aid workers, the UK continues to advocate that parties to the conflict uphold international humanitarian and human rights obligations as applicable, whilst calling for the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCR), including UNSCR 2736 (2024) on El Fasher, Darfur. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary also issued a statement following renewed attacks in El Fasher, calling for security guarantees in order to deliver aid rapidly and safely.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to remain a signatory to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (also known as the Ottawa Convention) continues to play an important role in protecting civilians from harm caused by anti-personnel landmines. As a State Party to the Ottawa Convention, the UK's commitment to it remains unwavering. We continue to encourage countries to join the Ottawa Convention and subscribe to its provisions, and we discourage States from using anti-personnel landmines.
His Majesty's Government continues to publicly express its commitment to the Ottawa Convention, most recently by Minister of State, Baroness Chapman, at a House of Lords debate on Landmines and Cluster Munitions on 03 April 2025.
[https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-04-03/debates/F6C91136-946C-463C-81BC-A41C98E6386D/LandminesAndClusterMunitions]
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on the potential impact of aid shortages on baby mortality in Gaza; and if he will take additional steps to help prevent potential loss of life.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary said to this house on 20 May, the threat of starvation hanging over hundreds of thousands of civilians is abominable, this includes the risk to infants and children who are disproportionately affected by the conflict. On 19 May, we issued a statement, with France and Canada, calling on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter. The Minister for Development reiterated our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services in a meeting with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May and in a visit to the region on 21 May where she met UNRWA staff and separately announced a further £4 million in funding to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to (a) prevent and (b) punish the crime of genocide.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Working closely with our partners and civil society, we take steps to help address the root causes and protect civilians at immediate risk using development, diplomacy and humanitarian action. UK funding has enabled the UN Office for Genocide Prevention and the independent Global Centre on the Responsibility to Protect to help improve ways to support populations at risk of atrocities. The UK is also one of the biggest contributors to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, the primary UN mechanism supporting violence prevention activity in over 40 countries.
Support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of our foreign policy. The UK supports and fully respects the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, including genocide.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the United Nations on the proportion of the population of Gaza who are at risk of (a) famine and (b) starvation.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we highlighted the recent report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Partnership, and called on Israel to lift its cruel and inexcusable block in the flow of aid to Gaza. The report found that the whole of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine and that half a million people are facing starvation. In a joint statement with Canada and France on 19 May, the Prime Minister called on Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This must include engaging with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles.