Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will publish legal advice received by the Government relating to the conflict in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We act consistent with that advice, for example when considering export licenses. Legal advice to Ministers on Israel's commitment, capability and compliance with regard to IHL is confidential.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled International development in a contested world: ending extreme poverty and tackling climate change, a white paper on international development, published on 20 November 2023, what recent progress his Department has made on developing a new strategy on children in conflict.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK recognises that protecting children from the effects of armed conflict is a moral, legal, and strategic imperative and essential in breaking the cycle of violence.
As announced in the International Development White Paper, published in November 2023, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office is committed to publishing a children in conflict strategy. This will be the first UK Government strategy on this agenda and marks a step-change in our commitment to the protection of children affected by conflict. Officials are beginning work on the strategy.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report entitled Gaza: Fewer than 1 in 4 aid missions given green light, published on 16 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in Israel and Gaza with President Biden on 22 January; the UK and US share deep concerns about the terrible suffering and loss of civilian lives and are working together to establish a new aid route through the port of Ashdod.
An immediate humanitarian pause is now necessary to get aid in and hostages out. Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.
We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and are working closely with partners in international agencies and in the region to increase access. The Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is based in the region and working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has received legal advice on the UK’s duty to prevent under the Genocide Convention for the conflict in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
As a party to the Convention, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention. In terms of the situation in Gaza, our position on this is clear: Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. It is for courts to decide on matters of genocide, not for states. We of course respect the role and independence of the International Court of Justice.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the IPC Acute Food Insecurity Report on Gaza, published 21 December 2023, what assessment he has made of (a) the risk of famine in that region and (b) the potential implications for his policies.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nine out of every 10 Palestinians in northern Gaza may be eating less than one meal a day. The situation is desperate - and projected to get worse. What matters is simple: more aid delivered by land, more quickly and more effectively. We have already supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza, with 750 metric tons of life-saving food aid arriving in the first delivery. The Foreign Secretary continues to discuss and press for the action that needs to be taken to increase aid to Gaza in his regular calls with his Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, US and Palestinian Authority counterparts. As he has outlined, Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Bangladesh.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Bangladesh is a Human Rights Priority Country for the UK. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, Minister for South Asia, raised human rights with Prime Minister Hasina when they met in October. Our statement following the recent election in Bangladesh reiterated our position on human rights and the rule of law, which are essential elements of the democratic process. We regularly engage with the Government of Bangladesh on the treatment of those in detention and on the integrity and independence of the judicial process. We will continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh to address human rights concerns, and will support efforts towards a stable, prosperous, and democratic Bangladesh.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the statement by United Nations Human Rights in Occupied Palestinian Territory entitled Unlawful killings in Gaza City, published on 20 December 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Government is aware of the report. The UK continues to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected by Israel in their actions in Gaza and for civilians to be protected. Israel plans to act within IHL and has the ability to do so, but we are also deeply concerned about the impact on the civilian population in Gaza. We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to IHL. We act consistent with that advice, for example when considering export licenses. Too many civilians have been killed and we want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's statement entitled Gaza Strip: States are obliged to prevent crimes against humanity and genocide, published 21 December 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Government is aware of the report. The UK continues to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected by Israel in their actions in Gaza and for civilians to be protected. Israel plans to act within IHL and has the ability to do so, but we are also deeply concerned about the impact on the civilian population in Gaza. We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to IHL. We act consistent with that advice, for example when considering export licenses. Too many civilians have been killed and we want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 5 December 2023 from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO acknowledges receipt of this letter and will be issuing a response shortly.
Regarding the issue of British citizens going to fight in the conflict, Section 4 of the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 makes it an offence for a British subject to enlist in the military of a foreign state at war with another foreign state with which the UK is at peace. However, that prohibition does not extend to enlistment in a foreign government's forces which are engaged in a civil war or are combating terrorism or internal uprisings. The Occupied Palestinian Territories are not currently recognised as a state by the UK. It is the UK government's longstanding position that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and that Israel is an occupying power under that convention. The 1870 Act therefore does not apply in this instance.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Human Rights Watch entitled Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza, published on 18 December 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO is aware of this report. We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, but it must comply with International Humanitarian Law; we keep under continuous review whether they are abiding by their obligations. The Prime Minister has made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly and has been in close contact throughout. We recognise that there is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. We have trebled our aid commitment this financial year and are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. We have also supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza, with 750 metric tons of life-saving food aid arriving in the first delivery. Israel must also take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more aid routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.