Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts at the UN on the potential merits of calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The UK has consistently called for humanitarian pauses to create the space to ensure that there is unhindered humanitarian access for aid to be delivered and hostages to be released. Four hour pauses in northern Gaza are an important first step. Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister, former Foreign Secretary and Lord (Tariq) Ahmad as Minister of State for the Middle East, have spoken with counterparts from over 20 countries as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East. As the Prime Minister has said, there is no scenario where Hamas can be allowed to control Gaza again. They are not partners for peace.