, Liberal Democrat MP for
Bath, urged the government to commit to supporting UNRWA to
continue delivering aid in Gaza amid growing concerns over the
Knesset legislation to ban the agency.
The Knesset of Israel's legislation to ban the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) is due to come into effect later this month (28th
January). In response, the Bath MP called on the government today
(7th January) to commit to supporting the agency so that it can
continue delivering “life-saving aid”.
This comes after Wera Hobhouse's Liberal Democrat colleague,
MP, raised an Urgent Question
to ask the Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development
Affairs to make a statement on the situation in northern Gaza.
Mrs Hobhouse voiced the concerns of many Bath residents who are
deeply worried by the suffering and devastation taking place in
Gaza. She pressed , the Parliamentary
Under-Secretary for the Middle East, to take urgent action to
ensure humanitarian aid is delivered to Gaza. Mrs Hobhouse urged
the government to consider the consequences of a ban on UNRWA and
what it would mean for humanitarian aid and Palestinian
civilians.
Mr Falconer insisted that the government were addressing the
issue with the “full seriousness” it deserved. Although he
conceded that there was no alternative to UNRWA at its current
scale, Mr Falconer did not go into further detail about the
consequences of the ban and said the government would address the
situation if it became clear that UNRWA could no longer
function.
Along with pushing the government to protect humanitarian aid in
Gaza, has continued to press for an
immediate bilateral ceasefire since November 2023. She also
continues to urge the government to recognise the state of
Palestine and work towards a two-state solution based on 1967
borders with Hamas not in power.
, Liberal Democrat MP for
Bath, said:
“I share the concerns of many people in Bath who are deeply
horrified by the appalling suffering in Gaza. What many are very
concerned about is the unrest and devastation that could be
caused by the ban on UNRWA.
“I'm worried that the government are failing to grasp the full
urgency of this situation. Not only must they continue providing
support to UNRWA, but they urgently need to protect its delivery
of humanitarian aid.
“UNRWA plays a vital role in distributing life-saving aid in
Gaza. The government urgently needs a plan to prevent the
catastrophic consequences at stake if UNRWA is no longer able to
deliver these important supplies.”
