Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the state of repair of the (a) Deir El Balah War Cemetery and (b) Gaza War Cemetery.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) updates their website on the condition of sites in challenging locations around the world. The Commission reports that as a result of the recent conflict in Gaza, both the Gaza War Cemetery and the Deir El Balah War Cemetery have suffered extensive damage including to approximately 10% of the headstones.

A more detailed assessment cannot be carried out until the current situation subsides. The CWGC will, however, restore those sites to a befitting standard as and when circumstances allow. Until then, the locally employed maintenance team remain temporarily relocated outside Gaza.