The Prime Minister ()
This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and
others. In addition to my duties in this House, this afternoon I
shall be meeting the extraordinary 100-year-old holocaust
survivor Lily Ebert. Lily promised that, if she survived
Auschwitz, she would tell the world the truth of what happened.
Never has such a promise been so profoundly fulfilled. As we
prepare to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday, I am sure the
whole House will join me in reaffirming our promise to Lily that
we will never forget the holocaust and we will carry forward her
life’s work for generations to come.
(Aberdeen South) (SNP)
Last night, as Tory MPs were once again fighting among
themselves, the public were at home watching John Irvine of ITV
News report on footage from Gaza of an unarmed Palestinian man
walking under a white flag being shot and killed by the Israel
Defence Forces. Such an act constitutes a war crime, does it not?
The Prime Minister
We have been absolutely consistent that international
humanitarian law should be respected and civilians should be
protected. I have made that point expressly to Prime Minister
Netanyahu, and the Foreign Secretary is in the region this week
making exactly the same point.
I do not think it is unreasonable to expect the Prime Minister of
the United Kingdom to rise to that Dispatch Box and tell the
people of these isles and elsewhere that shooting an unarmed man
walking under a white flag is a war crime. In recent weeks, the
House has acted with urgency and intent following an ITV drama.
The question is, will the House now show the same urgency and
intent following this ITV News report and finally back a
ceasefire in Gaza?
The Prime Minister
No one wants to see this conflict go on for a moment longer than
necessary. We do want to see an immediate and sustained
humanitarian pause to get more aid in and, crucially, the
hostages out, helping to create the conditions for a sustainable
ceasefire. I have set out the conditions for that in the House.
The Foreign Secretary is in the region today, and we will
continue to press all our allies and partners to make sure that
we can bring about that outcome.
(Foyle) (SDLP)
In the week of the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, people in Derry
are watching unarmed Palestinians being gunned down by Israeli
soldiers. Over 25,000 people have now been slaughtered in Gaza.
The Prime Minister has said—he has said it again today—that he
wants to see a sustained ceasefire. My question is a very simple
one: the next time there is a vote at the UN for a ceasefire,
will his representative vote for it?
The Prime Minister
Of course we will engage with all UN resolutions on their merits.
I have been clear that no one wants to see this conflict go on
for a moment longer than is necessary. We want to see an
immediate pause so that we can get aid in and hostages out,
because the situation is desperate for many people there, but a
sustainable, permanent ceasefire needs to fulfil a set of
conditions, which include Hamas releasing all the hostages, Hamas
no longer being in charge of Gaza with the threat of rocket
attacks into Israel, and an agreement in place for the
Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza to provide governance and
services. The Foreign Secretary is in the region. Those are the
principles on which we are working, and I believe that those are
shared by all our major allies.
Ms Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
Q8. We entered 2024 with starvation and famine as acute as ever
across the globe, much of it caused by the climate crisis, yet at
present the world’s worst hunger crisis is in Gaza, created by
Israel’s ongoing siege. The integrated food security phase
classification has found that of the 600,000 people facing
starvation globally, 95% are in Gaza. Starvation used as a weapon
of war is a war crime. The Israeli Government have the power to
end this starvation crisis by ending the siege of Gaza and
opening all crossings—do they not, Prime Minister?
The Prime Minister
I have been absolutely clear that we are incredibly concerned
about the devastating impact of the situation in Gaza on
citizens. That is why we have tripled our humanitarian aid for
this financial year to the region and, as I said in the statement
yesterday, we are working with partners such as Jordan and the
United States to open up new aid corridors so that we can
increase the supply of aid getting to those who desperately need
it.
(Birmingham, Hall Green)
(Lab)
Q9. Recently released documents reveal that the Foreign Office
had serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international
humanitarian law and its ongoing assault on Gaza. This assessment
was hidden from Parliament while the Prime Minister boldly stated
his confidence in Israel’s respect for international law. Since
then, the scale of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza has been revealed
to the world, thanks to South Africa’s case at the International
Court of Justice. Therefore, is it not now time for the Prime
Minister to admit that he has the blood of thousands of innocent
people on his hands, and time for him to commit to demanding an
immediate ceasefire and an ending of the UK’s arms trade with
Israel?
The Prime Minister
That is the face of the changed Labour party.
(West Bromwich East)
(Con)
Mr Speaker, may I start by thanking you for commissioning the
Holocaust Educational Trust’s exhibition in Portcullis House, and
for your unwavering personal commitment to holocaust remembrance?
As we approach Holocaust Memorial Day, will the Prime Minister
join me in commending the Holocaust Educational Trust for its
important work, particularly its work with holocaust survivors
who, despite living through the darkest moment in human history,
continue to share their testimony in the hope of ensuring “Never
again.” In the face of the appalling rise in antisemitism that we
see on the streets of Britain, will my right hon. Friend join me
in encouraging all Members to sign the book of commitment and
stand up against antisemitism?
The Prime Minister
I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to the Holocaust
Educational Trust for it brilliant work, and I thank her for all
her work on this issue. I will be signing the book of commitment
this afternoon, during my meeting with Lily Ebert, and I
encourage Members on both sides of the House to do the same and
to reaffirm our shared determination to ensure that the holocaust
is never forgotten, and to defeat the resurgence of antisemitism
and all forms of hatred in our country.
