Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the alleged use of child soldiers by Hamas.

We condemn the recruiting and use of children in armed conflict and want to see an end to this abhorrent practice.

The UK is an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. The Working Group issues calls and concrete requests to those governments and armed groups listed in the Secretary-General's annual report, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected.