Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58444 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, whether international allies who are not F-35 Partners have raised concerns with him on the use of UK-made F-35 parts in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our conversations with international allies on Gaza have focused on the need for an immediate ceasefire, including release of hostages, a surge of aid into Gaza and a path towards permanent peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians based on a two-state solution. We take our export licensing responsibilities seriously and regularly discuss them with allies.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to apply sanctions in relation to withholding of aid from Gaza.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK keeps all options under review in response to the withholding of aid to Gaza. While we do not speculate on future sanctions, as doing so could reduce their effectiveness, we remain committed to upholding international humanitarian law. On 10 June, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions against Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for inciting violence towards Palestinians. On 20 May, we also sanctioned individuals, illegal settler outposts, and organisations supporting violence in the West Bank. These measures demonstrate our readiness to act. We continue to urge Israel to allow unhindered humanitarian access and comply with international humanitarian principles.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
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 taking steps with his international counterparts to establish an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary are committed to convening a meeting for an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. We welcome the opportunity to discuss further with civil society organisations their work and the prospects for peacebuilding. We want to make sure that the meeting will have the desired effect of building trust across the two communities, and that the timing is sensitive to the circumstances in the region. We will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire deal as the first step towards long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and the wider region.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
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 placing sanctions on (a) Itamar Ben Gvir and (b) Bezalel Smotrich.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On the 10 June 2025, together with international partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, we announced measures against Israeli government ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. We sanctioned these individuals in their personal capacity as a result of their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. Both will be subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification. We have long been clear that Israel must cease expansion of illegal settlements which undermine a future Palestinian state. It is right that we, along with international partners, demonstrate our commitment to ensuring they are held accountable for encouraging and inciting human rights abuses. Our joint statement made clear our commitment to continuing a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties and values. We remain committed to a two-state solution which ensures a safe and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what level of representation they intend to send to the UN High Level Conference on the two-state solution on 17–20 June.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The two-state solution Conference has been postponed following military escalation in the region. We remain deeply committed to a two-state solution which remains the only way to guarantee security, dignity and a just and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. We will continue to work closely with France, Saudi Arabia and others to make the conference a success when it is re-scheduled.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of cases in which soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces have used Palestinians as human shields in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply disturbed by reports that soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces have used Palestinians as human shields in Gaza. Use of civilians as human shields is a breach of international humanitarian law. We call on the Government of Israel to fully investigate all such reports and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56774 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, what diplomatic steps he is taking to call for an (a) immediate and (b) independent investigation into the reports of the killing of Palestinians near aid sites in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza. Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families. We have raised our concerns directly with the Government of Israel. At a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on 4 June, we called for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on incidents between 1 and 3 June 2025 near aid distribution sites in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely challenging. We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account. The UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. We have repeatedly and publicly called on Israel to urgently engage with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he will consider enabling medical evacuations in Gaza for children (a) with life-threatening injuries and (b) with family resident in the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has supported Project Pure Hope's initiative to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. On 1 May, I confirmed that two children had arrived for treatment and also announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including support for UK-Med, World Health Organization Egypt and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund. The UK's Immigration Rules allow entry for private medical treatment, with further requests considered case by case. The Government continues to assess support for Palestinians and urges Israel to allow urgent medical evacuations.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 reports of the killing of Palestinians near an aid distribution centre in Rafah.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza. Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver all types of aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.