Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making to encourage Hamas to co-operate with international aid agencies in the reconstruction of civilian property.

Reconstruction in Gaza will require political commitment by all parties, technical capacities for crossings and equipment, the smooth functioning of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and adequate financial resources. The UK is providing £0.5 million to the Mechanism as part of our pledge for Gaza early recovery and reconstruction. By 10 December, more than 6,000 people had been able to buy building materials. Ultimately, we need to see a sustainable solution for Gaza that addresses the underlying issues, and we continue to urge the parties to resume negotiations to that end.