Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2024 and Question 19848 on Arms Trade: Israel, if she will take steps to centrally record how many people have been charged with offenses relating to protests against Elbit Systems UK's arms sales to Israel since (a) 8 October 2023, (b) 26 January 2024 and (c) 2 September 2024.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Between October 2023 to September 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service charged 142,221 suspects which reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court. To determine which offences involved defendants who were taking part in a protest against Elbit Systems UK would require a manual review of each case, which would be at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested for activity relating to protests against Elbit Systems UK's arms sales to Israel since December 2024?.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Data provided by police shows that, between 30 July 2020 and 27 June 2025, there have been over 400 “direct actions” claimed by or identified with Palestine Action. Police have made 750 arrests during this period, with 555 separate individuals arrested. Offences have included criminal damage, aggravated burglary, violent disorder, assault on emergency workers, actual bodily harm and gross bodily harm. For many relevant cases, police investigations and court proceedings are ongoing.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Palestine Action members have been (a) arrested (b) charged, (c) convicted, (d) held on remand and (e) imprisoned for activities relating to protests against arms sales to Israel.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Data provided by police shows that, between 30 July 2020 and 27 June 2025, there have been over 400 “direct actions” claimed by or identified with Palestine Action. Police have made 750 arrests during this period, with 555 separate individuals arrested. Offences have included criminal damage, aggravated burglary, violent disorder, assault on emergency workers, actual bodily harm and gross bodily harm. For many relevant cases, police investigations and court proceedings are ongoing.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 19789, how many of these were (a) charged, (b) convicted, (c) held on remand and (e) imprisoned.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Data provided by police shows that, between 30 July 2020 and 27 June 2025, there have been over 400 “direct actions” claimed by or identified with Palestine Action. Police have made 750 arrests during this period, with 555 separate individuals arrested. Offences have included criminal damage, aggravated burglary, violent disorder, assault on emergency workers, actual bodily harm and gross bodily harm. For many relevant cases, police investigations and court proceedings are ongoing.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Palestine Action members have been (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) convicted, (d) held on remand and (e) imprisoned for (i) assault, (ii) assaulting an emergency worker, (iii) inflicting grievous bodily harm, (iv) man slaughter and (v) murder related to activity regarding protests against arms sales to Israel.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Data provided by police shows that, between 30 July 2020 and 27 June 2025, there have been over 400 “direct actions” claimed by or identified with Palestine Action.
Police have made 750 arrests during this period, with 555 separate individuals arrested. Offences have included criminal damage, aggravated burglary, violent disorder, assault on emergency workers, actual bodily harm and gross bodily harm.
For many relevant cases, police investigations and court proceedings are ongoing.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the (a) situation and (b) safety of British nationals in (i) Israel and (ii) the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Consular teams have worked round the clock to support British nationals in the region. As soon as Israeli airspace re-opened UK government charter flights left Israel carrying over 340 British nationals on six flights. In allocating seats, we prioritised those who were most vulnerable, including those with medical needs, children, and the elderly. At this time, no further flights are planned. Commercial flights are now available. This remains a fast-moving and fragile situation, and plans will be kept under constant review.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether British nationals will be evacuated from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Support to British nationals remains our top priority and we have worked at pace to ensure those who want to leave Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories can do so, with six flights leaving Israel since 24 June. At this time, no further flights are planned. Commercial flights are now available. This remains a fast-moving and fragile situation, and plans will be kept under constant review.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on any British company operating in the illegal settlement activity in the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned by the levels of settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank and continue to urge the Government of Israel to stop settlement expansion and take action to hold violence to account. Settlements are illegal under international law.
On 20 May the UK imposed sanctions on three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. On 10 June the UK, acting alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in their personal capacity, in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Israeli settlements, as part of Israel. Goods imported from the settlements are therefore not entitled to benefit from trade preferences under the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. The UK also supports accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.
Sanctions can be used to achieve a range of foreign and security policy objectives. We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. We have been clear that we keep these issues under close review.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
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 counterpart in Israel on compensation for the relatives of British aid workers killed while delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister and I recently met with the families of British aid workers killed in Gaza.
The Government's priority is securing justice for the appalling strike that killed John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby. We continue to press Israel to swiftly conclude the Military Advocate General's (MAG) investigation into consideration of events on the 1 April 2024, including determining whether criminal proceedings should be initiated. The Foreign Secretary has repeatedly pressed Foreign Affairs Minister Sa'ar and Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer for the MAG to conclude consideration of the case swiftly and thoroughly.
We have advised the families on their legal options for claiming compensation and that is a matter for them to pursue independently through the Israeli legal system.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many flights have been chartered to evacuate UK citizens from Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Flights have been chartered to evacuate UK citizens from Israel. The UK Government has not chartered flights to evacuate UK citizens from Iran. Media reports suggest the Iranian airspace is in the process of re-opening.