Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations

Fleur Anderson Excerpts

Monday 24th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered e-petition 700682 relating to humanitarian obligations and Gaza.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. The petition was started in January 2025 and is titled “Urgently fulfil humanitarian obligations to Gaza”. It reads:

“Act to ensure delivery of fuel, food, aid, life saving services etc. We think this shouldn’t be dependent/on condition of Israeli facilitation as the Knesset voted against UNRWA access to Gaza. We think if military delivery of aid, airdrops, peacekeepers etc, are needed, then all be considered.

Israel does not agree to ceasefire and does not permit UNRWA access. We think the UK must find alternative means to deliver aid. We believe this must done urgently with urgent deadlines, with or without Israeli support.”

The Government responded to the petition in August, noting that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification had issued an alert warning that the worst-case scenario—famine—was unfolding. They also noted that

“All routes to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza are controlled by and must be approved by the Government of Israel.”

And, therefore, the UK

“has collaborated with regional partners on alternative routes for aid to get into Gaza, including air drops and a maritime corridor.”

I believe that this conflict has touched many people across the world. I am sure that every Member in this room will have received high numbers of correspondence from constituents about the ongoing situation. I know this is a topic my constituents care about deeply, and I am proud to be representing their views, as well as those of the nearly 200,000 people who signed the petition.

[Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for introducing this debate. She has mentioned the number of people who signed the petition, which includes 715 people from my constituency. They will have given money to many of the UK aid agencies that are trying to get this aid in urgently. Does my hon. Friend agree that all the aid getting that urgency is a measure of the success of the British Government’s work with the Civil-Military Co-ordination Centre?

[Irene Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting those important facts, and I agree with the points she raises.

I was contacted by a constituent on Friday who said:

“We are still not seeing enough food, medicine, tents or machinery required to clear roads, excavate bombed buildings to recover the dead, restore water and electricity and sewage treatment facilities being allowed through the Israeli blockade. I implore you to use all the influence you have to pressure the Prime Minister to at the very least publicly call out the atrocities that continue in Gaza.”

I receive many emails with that sentiment.

Since 7 October 2023, approximately 2,000 Israelis have been killed, including civilians and Israel Defence Forces soldiers, and more than 20,000 IDF soldiers have been injured. The Palestinian figures are as follows: almost 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza strip, and more than 170,000 have been injured. A UN impact report found that nearly 53% of those fatalities have been women, children and elderly people.