Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK and Palestinian strategic cooperation: memorandum of understanding, published on 28 April 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the Palestinian Authority’s compliance with its commitment in February 2025 to end payments to Palestinians convicted of terror offences by Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are clear that a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) is essential to long-term stability in the region and making progress towards a two-state solution, which is why alongside our international partners, we welcomed the PA's commitment to deliver its ambitious and necessary 'National Program for Development and Reform'. In July the Foreign Secretary announced £7 million to strengthen the PA and Palestinian governance.
We welcomed President Abbas' letter to President Macron, dated 9 June, in which he reaffirmed the Palestine Liberation Organization principles of non-violence, and committed to the organisation of elections, the development of a curriculum that is free from incitement, and revoking the law on prisoner payments by implementing a new social security system. We will continue to work closely with the PA to support it in delivering the important commitments it has made on reform.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support Palestinian children forcibly displaced from Gaza to Egypt.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned by the effect of ongoing hostilities on children in Gaza, many of whom have been displaced several times. The UK has provided £3 million in funding to World Health Organization (WHO) Egypt to boost regional healthcare capacity to treat medically evacuated civilians from Gaza who are receiving care in Egypt. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure that Palestinians can return to their homes, and to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that proper accommodation and conditions are provided to all those displaced. Permanent forced displacement is a breach of International Humanitarian Law. A cross-government taskforce is working urgently to get some sick and injured children out of Gaza, so that they can receive specialist treatment in NHS hospitals across the UK. The UK continues to be a major donor to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - our support reached a more than 160,000 people in the last financial year, including almost 80,000 children.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support access to medical care for Palestinians.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The healthcare situation in Gaza is critical. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly all hospitals in Gaza have been partly damaged or destroyed. We have made both private and public representations calling for the protection of healthcare facilities and medical professionals. On 25 August, the former Foreign Secretary expressed his horror at the strike on Nasser hospital and called for civilians and healthcare professionals to be protected. On 22 August, the former Foreign Secretary also urged Israel to allow desperately needed medical supplies into Gaza.
With our £19 million of support, UK-Med has treated over 600,000 patient consultations in their field hospitals and emergency departments. We have also boosted regional healthcare capacity by providing £3 million for WHO Egypt to treat medically evacuated civilians from Gaza who are receiving care in Egypt.
On 1 September, the former Foreign Secretary announced an additional £15 million of aid and medical care for Gaza and the region.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Israel, (b) Lebanon, (c) Jordan and (d) Egypt on access to education for children fleeing Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 21 July, the former Foreign Secretary announced £20 million of support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to carry out essential services for Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people, as well as support UNRWA's wider work across the region, enabling the Agency to restore some education services for hundreds of thousands of children and expand psychosocial support for traumatised families. The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education must also be protected in Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We call on Israel to work urgently with international partners, including the UN, so there is no disruption to this vital work. UK support has meant that to date, at least 14,000 children have been given access to education materials and welfare support. We have provided £5.6 million to the Global Partnership for Education to support the educational needs of children and young people in Gaza and the West Bank. Our support to Education Cannot Wait is also supporting children's education via the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to support access to education for children fleeing Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 21 July, the former Foreign Secretary announced £20 million of support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to carry out essential services for Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people, as well as support UNRWA's wider work across the region, enabling the Agency to restore some education services for hundreds of thousands of children and expand psychosocial support for traumatised families. The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education must also be protected in Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We call on Israel to work urgently with international partners, including the UN, so there is no disruption to this vital work. UK support has meant that to date, at least 14,000 children have been given access to education materials and welfare support. We have provided £5.6 million to the Global Partnership for Education to support the educational needs of children and young people in Gaza and the West Bank. Our support to Education Cannot Wait is also supporting children's education via the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by Amnesty International entitled Amnesty International Investigation in Gaza highlights human toll of Israel’s Apartheid System against Palestinians, published on 13 June 2023.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has not made an assessment of the 13 June 2023 Amnesty report which was published a year before the current Government entered office.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of further sanctions on Israel in response to (a) the humanitarian situation in Gaza and (b) plans for further illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government has announced three packages of sanctions since coming to power, two of which targeted individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations supporting violence against Palestinian Communities in the West Bank. On 10 June we imposed sanctions on Israeli Ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir, in their personal capacity for inciting violence towards Palestinians. We keep all sanctions action under review, however we cannot speculate on further sanctions or share our assessments on their impact.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to participate in humanitarian aid airdrops to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. In late July, the Prime Minister announced plans for the UK to work with Jordan to get aid into Gaza. Since then, UK aid has been dropped into Gaza by the Royal Jordanian Air Force. Whilst airdrops will help to alleviate some of the suffering, land routes serve as the only viable and sustainable means of providing aid into Gaza. Israel must urgently lift restrictions and facilitate a surge of aid into Gaza to prevent further hunger and malnutrition related deaths. It must ensure that the UN and its partners including non-governmental organisations are able to work safely and effectively.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to secure a two state solution to the (a) humanitarian, (b) political and (c) security crisis in the Middle East since 22 July 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my Hon Friend to the statement made to the House by the former Foreign Secretary on 1 September.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli Government in response to proposals to forcibly relocate the Palestinian population of Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have been clear: Palestinian territory must not be reduced in the conduct of this war, and we do not support the forced displacement of people. Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities and rebuild their lives. We are appalled by Minister Katz's comments on creating a new "humanitarian city" and displacing the population of Gaza to Rafah. Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich has spoken of Palestinians "being relocated to third countries". We condemn this in the strongest possible terms. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israel's Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 24 August, and we continue to press this issue with the Israeli Government.