Asked by: Matthew Patrick (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the news that US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander will be released. We thank Qatar and Egypt for their support in bringing Edan out. We call on all parties to use this opportunity to re-engage with negotiations to ensure a lasting ceasefire is implemented, with the release of all hostages, and for Israel to allow the resumption of aid delivery for Palestinians in Gaza immediately. The Foreign Secretary issued a statement with his French and German opposite numbers last month urging all parties to return to a ceasefire and lift the block on aid.