Middle East

Baroness Blower Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We are only, I think, three weeks away from the UN General Assembly, when the decision on recognition will be communicated. As I have said before, I cannot comment on the designation of future sanctions, but I observe how extraordinary it is to impose sanctions on individual members of the cabinet of a country with which we have such long, close historic ties.

[Baroness Blower (Lab)]

My Lords, as my noble friend has said, since late May 2025, Israeli forces have reportedly killed some 2,000 Palestinians and injured more than 15,000 at or near aid distribution centres in Gaza, where women, men and children are compelled to seek minimal provisions for their families as a result of Israel’s policy of failing to allow aid in properly and creating, as we have heard, a famine. Despite the export of arms suspension, can my noble friend the Minister say why the Government are still permitting the transfer of F35 components to Israel through the international pool, knowing that these aircraft may be used in operations causing significant civilian casualties?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

The issue with F35s is that their components are provided on a pooled basis. My understanding is that, if we stopped their provision, there are other situations in which there would be an outcome that we would not want to see.

I really agree with my noble friend on the issue of the provision of aid and the way that the Israeli Government have chosen to go about it. When this idea was first suggested, we expressed our concerns. We said that we did not believe that aid could be distributed safely or at sufficient scale to meet the need—and it has not. This was foreseeable; it was predicted; it was avoidable. It is fixable. We could get the aid in very quickly now, but we need the Government of Israel to agree to that. I think there is more aid getting in than there had been at various points, but still nowhere near enough. Once you have famine starting, it is not simply a case of “Get some more aid in and all will be well”. The effects take some time, and given the medical attention that is now needed, I fear that we are about to see the cascade effect that happens when you enter famine. As others have said, you also see the increased prevalence of diseases, which are no respecters of borders. This is a dire situation, where we need the food and medical supplies to enter Gaza as quickly as possible.