Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the number of (a) aid workers and (b) journalists who have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

The safety of humanitarian personnel and healthcare workers in Gaza is critical to enable aid to reach those who need it most. We also recognise the valuable role of journalists operating on the ground in Gaza, providing important coverage of the conflict in incredibly challenging circumstances. We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to be respected; under IHL, journalists covering conflicts and humanitarian aid workers should be afforded protection. As the Foreign Secretary has said, there must be a reduction in civilian casualties and Israel must take greater care to limit its operations to military targets. The Prime Minister has made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly and has been in close contact throughout.