Oral Answers to Questions

Fleur Anderson Excerpts

Tuesday 12th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Anne-Marie Trevelyan]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right. We welcomed the recent written update on Sri Lanka by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, in September, the UK Government issued statements that emphasised the importance of inclusive transitional justice and effective governance reforms in order to highlight the arbitrary use of laws to suppress dissent. As I said, we led UNHRC resolution 51/1 on Sri Lanka, providing the mandate for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on Sri Lanka, and we continue to work with it.

[Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab)]

13. What recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help secure peace in Israel and Palestine.

[David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

17. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of formally recognising the state of Palestine.

--- Later in debate ---

[Fleur Anderson]

The aerial bombardment by Israel of one of the most densely populated regions in the world in Gaza has been devastating. Recent statistics reported in Israel show that 61% of deaths in Gaza have been civilians. When the Prime Minister spoke to the Israeli Prime Minister last week, did he urge him to stop besieging and blockading Gaza, to comply with international law, which must mean being proportionate, and to protect innocent lives?

[Mr Mitchell]

The hon. Member is right. At the COP, the Prime Minister was able to have meetings with Qatar, Egypt and Jordan, as well as with Israel, and he reiterated the point that he has made publicly before, which is that Israel has the right to self-defence, but it must operate within international humanitarian law.