Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab) (Urgent Question): To ask the
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Affairs if he will make a statement on the Israel-Gaza situation
and the humanitarian pause. The Minister of State, Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office (Mr Andrew Mitchell) I thank
the shadow Foreign Secretary for his question. A tragedy is
unfolding in the middle east. Israel has suffered the
worst terror attack in its...Request free trial
(Tottenham) (Lab)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Affairs if he will make a statement
on the Israel-Gaza situation and the humanitarian pause.
The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office ( )
I thank the shadow Foreign Secretary for his question.
A tragedy is unfolding in the middle east. Israel has suffered the
worst terror attack in its history and Palestinian civilians are
experiencing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. As
the Foreign Secretary made clear, last week’s agreement was a
crucial step towards providing relief to the families of the
hostages and addressing the humanitarian emergency in Gaza. This
pause has provided an important opportunity to ensure that much
greater volumes of food, fuel and other life-saving aid can enter
Gaza.
On 24 November the British Government announced a further £30
million of humanitarian assistance, tripling our existing aid
budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories this financial
year. During the pause, the fourth UK aircraft, carrying 23
tonnes of humanitarian aid for Gaza, arrived in Egypt, bringing
the total amount of UK humanitarian aid provided via British
aircraft to 74 tonnes. That aid is now being dispersed to the
United Nations to support critical food, water, health, shelter
and protection needs in Gaza and to pre-position emergency
supplies in the region.
Today is the fourth and final day of the agreement. The British
Government are supportive of the current pause in hostilities
continuing, but that is for the Israelis and others in the region
to agree. We are clear that this pause should not be a one-off.
The increased flow of fuel and relief supplies over the Rafah
crossing accompanying the pause was welcome and must be
sustained. This pause should act as a confidence-building
mechanism for future pauses, including those solely on
humanitarian grounds.
We welcome the intensive international co-operation, including
efforts from Qatar and the USA, that led to this agreement and we
thank partners for their continued work. We remain committed to
making progress towards a two-state solution. Britain’s
long-standing position on the middle east peace process is clear.
We support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and
secure Israel living alongside
a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. The UK will continue to
work with all partners in the region to reach a long-term
political solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to
live in peace.
Mr Lammy
I am grateful for the granting of this urgent question.
Holding the Government to account is a sacred duty of this House,
but with of Chipping Norton not here,
this feels more like a game of “Where’s Wally?” I start by asking
the Minister what progress is being made with Mr Speaker to
ensure that all Members can question the Foreign Secretary.
The past 72 hours have brought much-needed relief
to Israel and Gaza. I pay
tribute to the work of Qatar, Egypt, the United States and the
Red Cross. The images of hostages who have been released and
reunited with their families have moved us all, but the situation
remains bittersweet, with many more still captive and their
families in agony.
In Gaza, the past few weeks have been an unimaginable nightmare
for innocent Palestinians. The civilian death toll, which
includes thousands of women and children, is shocking and
intolerable. The increased flow of aid and fuel remains a
fraction of what is required. More time is needed. We must
urgently support the parties to reach an agreement to extend the
cessation of hostilities, to secure the release of remaining
hostages, to deliver more aid to ease the unacceptable
humanitarian catastrophe and, crucially, to provide a stepping
stone towards an enduring cessation of hostilities, ensuring that
what follows the war is a durable political solution.
The danger is that the fighting will resume in mere hours. Does
the right hon. Gentleman agree that, if the vital efforts to
extend the cessation of hostilities fail, we cannot return to the
situation of before the pause? We cannot go back to Hamas
continuing rocket attacks on Israel we cannot
go back to unacceptable siege conditions in Gaza, and we cannot
go back to the scenes of thousands of innocent Palestinians being
killed.
The two-state solution remains the only credible basis for a
lasting peace: a future in which Israel is secure
from the threat of Hamas terrorists, in which Gaza is not
occupied and its people are no longer displaced, and in which
Palestinians and Israelis can enjoy security, dignity and human
rights.
Mr Mitchell
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for most of his comments and, in
particular, his desire to ensure an extension of the cessation of
hostilities. On what he said about the broader situation, the
Opposition Front Benchers and the Government are in complete
agreement.
The right hon. Gentleman asks what progress has been made in
ensuring that the Foreign Office and the Government’s foreign
policy is subject to proper scrutiny in this House. I completely
agree with him that there is a sacred duty—I think that is the
term that he used—to ensure that all that scrutiny is made
available. I just point out to him the extraordinary authority
that a former Prime Minister can bring to bear in carrying out
those tasks, as he will have seen from Lord Cameron’s recent
visit to the middle east. is the most senior Foreign
Minister in Europe—and, indeed, in the region—and I think that
both sides of the House will see the benefit of that in the days
and months to come.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
(Rutland and Melton)
(Con)
This is a serious matter. The UK’s priority in the region is
security and stability for the whole of the middle east, yet
today Netanyahu plans to push forward with a special budget that
will fund expansions of the settlements by over $80 million. As a
friend, we have a duty to say to Israel “Do not
proceed with this plan. It takes us further away from peace and,
frankly, it will risk not only the truce, but the ability to get
home hostages who are still held by their terrorist kidnappers.”
What is my right hon. Friend doing to ensure that we speak
plainly to our friends?
Mr Mitchell
I thank the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee for her
comments. She is entirely right that Israel must comply with
international humanitarian law, and must not only prosecute but
punish those who have been involved in settler violence. The
Government are delivering tough messages to all sides in this
dreadful conflict, and we will continue to do so.
Madam Deputy Speaker
I call the SNP spokesman.
(Glenrothes) (SNP)
I am grateful to the Minister for his statement, and I commend
the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton () for the integrity and
courage with which she raised her concerns.
Does the Minister agree that the only way we will see a lasting
and just peace in the middle east is through the establishment of
a two-state solution in which Israel and
Palestine are recognised as equal sovereign states with equal
rights and equal responsibilities to uphold international law?
Given that there are now credible accusations of war crimes
against both sides in this conflict, will the Government confirm
that they will give full support to the International Criminal
Court to investigate without fear or favour all allegations of
war crimes, regardless of who is accused of them, so that any
perpetrator of a war crime, regardless of whose friend or foe
they may be, is brought to justice before the international
courts? Given that it is an offence in international law to
supply weapons where they may be used in the commission of a war
crime, what recent reassessment have the Government made of the
legality of their arms sales to the middle east?
Finally, I do not know whether the Minister was in the Chamber to
hear my plea on behalf of my constituent Dr Lubna Hadoura—I have
written to the Foreign Secretary specifically about her—but will
he agree to meet urgently with me and her, and with the Home
Secretary, so that we can find an effective way to get the
families of UK nationals who are still stuck in Gaza out while
the peace lasts? If we do not get them out during a ceasefire, we
might not get them out at all.
Mr Mitchell
Both the Lord Chancellor and I have made clear the position in
respect of the International Criminal Court. I set it out in the
House: it is not for Government Ministers and politicians to
address these matters, but for the prosecutor and the
administration of the International Criminal Court.
The hon. Gentleman rightly identified future thinking as critical
at this time. He will recall that the progress that was made at
Oslo was on the back of the first intifada. That should give us
some confidence in these dreadful sets of circumstances that we
need to focus on the future, and a lot of thinking is going on in
that respect. To address his point about the arms regime, he will
know that the British Government have the toughest arms export
regime in the world, and we adhere absolutely to that.
(Bournemouth East) (Con)
During this lull in fighting, the whole House wants to see as
many hostages as possible released and as much aid as possible
getting in, but both sides are committed to recommence fighting.
Does my right hon. Friend think it is time to call for a
demilitarisation of Gaza in the longer term, and to consider
future governance, security and humanitarian plans? Will he
consider a joint summit with the United States, bringing together
all the stakeholders to look at the long-term implications of
this conflict?
Mr Mitchell
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of
looking to the medium and the long term, and of doing all that is
necessary to bring together people of good will to make progress
on the two-state solution. We want to see all hostages released
as swiftly as possible, and we also want to see greater volumes
of food, fuel, medicine and life-saving supplies getting into
Gaza, principally through Rafah but also through any other
plausible means.
(Rochdale) (Lab)
Is it the Government’s contention that further hostilities—the
destruction of the south of Gaza in the way we have seen the
north destroyed, with tens of thousands more killed—will lead
easily to a permanent ceasefire, or will it simply embolden the
militants?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Gentleman is right about the very worrying position that
exists in the south of Gaza at the moment. He will have seen that
the United Nations and others are considering islands of
deconfliction, particularly around Khan Yunis, including safe
zones in order to dispense aid. But, like me, he will be very
aware of the dangers experienced in other safe zones in the past,
and the risks for civilians who are involved in them.
Sir (New Forest East) (Con)
How can a two-state solution, which everybody says they
want—everybody in this Chamber, at any rate—ever come to pass
while Hamas remains in control of the Gaza strip?
Mr Mitchell
I do not think that anybody thinks that Hamas are going to remain
in charge of the Gaza strip in the medium term, or anything
longer than that.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
It is great when the Minister gives very quick answers, which is
what I asked him to do.
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
The prospect of the carnage simply resuming at the end of this
pause is a really dreadful one. What is the Minister’s assessment
of the likelihood that the ceasefire might be made permanent if,
over a period of some further days, all the hostages are
released?
Mr Mitchell
The right hon. Gentleman will have seen the statements by the
Israeli Government about the number of hostages to be released
and the possibility of extending the pause in that respect. The
view of the British Government is that we should do everything we
can to ensure the hostages are released as speedily as possible.
The longer that this pause continues, the greater chance there is
for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza and for progress to be
made.
Sir (Northampton North) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that any ceasefire continuing
should be linked to the release of more hostages? Is he concerned
that Hamas are breaking the agreement in several ways, including
by separating parents and their children when releasing one but
not the other? They have not even allowed the Red Cross to visit
all remaining hostages, which has been a rule in conflict for
over 100 years. Is he not concerned about these breaches?
Mr Mitchell
I am immensely concerned about the fate of all the hostages. As
my right hon. and learned Friend will know, there were originally
about 240 hostages, and as of midnight last night 58 hostages
have managed to get out. At the same time, 117 prisoners have
been released by the Israeli Government. The sooner that all the
hostages are out, the better.
(Barking) (Lab)
Like others, I felt a real sense of relief watching some of the
hostages who emerged and were reunited with their families
yesterday. The Minister said that this pause could turn into a
one-off; it need not. I know the issues are incredibly
complicated and I know it is only through international
intervention that we will make progress, but could he tell us
what steps are being taken not to get to a two-state solution at
this point, but to start a peace process between the warring
factions that will eventually, one would hope, lead to a
two-state solution? What steps are being taken now by
international bodies?
Mr Mitchell
I thank the right hon. Lady for her question. She speaks with
great wisdom on these matters. I can tell her that the
discussions to which she refers are going on throughout the
region and internationally. Britain is playing a proper part, not
least by the visit last week of the Foreign Secretary to the
region.
(South West Bedfordshire)
(Con)
I very much hope we can extend the humanitarian pause. The
Minister, as a former serviceman, like me, will know that the
United Kingdom armed forces make extraordinary efforts to avoid
civilian casualties, even when targeting terrorists embedded in
civilian areas—a point that has been made very forcefully to me
by veterans in recent days—so will the United Kingdom carry on
very clearly calling on Israel to follow
similar standard operating procedures?
Mr Mitchell
Yes, and the Foreign Secretary, during his visit to Israel made precisely
that point.
(Islington North) (Ind)
The pause is obviously welcome because it will save lives. The
horror of 7 October has not gone away. The disaster of the
killing of 14,000 people in Gaza has not gone away. There has to
be a recognition, as António Guterres has pointed out, of the
underlying issue, which is the occupation of the west bank and
the settlement policy, and the violence that so many Palestinians
have had to put up with for decades and decades. Does the
Minister believe there is a role now for the United Nations to do
more to try to bring about not just a ceasefire, but a long-term
peace that will involve the withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Palestine?
Mr Mitchell
The right hon. Gentleman will know that there is always a role
for the United Nations, but it has to be adapted to the
circumstances. What he says about a ceasefire, which I have heard
him say before, is fettered by the fact that Hamas have made it
perfectly clear that they do not want a ceasefire. They want to
repeat what they did on 7 October, the day of those terrible
events. To have a ceasefire, we have to have two sides that want
a ceasefire, and that is clearly not available on this
occasion.
(Bracknell) (Con)
The conflict in the middle east is tragic, complex and, sadly,
protracted. While the House is broadly aligned on the need to
defeat Hamas, could the Minister please reassure me of the
efforts being undertaken to urge restraint among all protagonists
in the protection of civilians and non-combatants in Gaza?
Mr Mitchell
Britain has been very clear about the importance of respecting
international humanitarian law in all circumstances.
(North Antrim) (DUP)
The Minister must be concerned by those who seek to play down
what has actually happened to innocent Israelis in the middle
east. He must be gutted and alarmed that Leo Varadkar, the Prime
Minister of a neighbouring state of ours, described one of the
victims, an eight-year-old girl who was kidnapped and abused, as
“lost”. That is unbelievable. Is the Minister concerned by the
ever-increasing extremism and the anti-NATO and antisemitic
attitudes emanating now from the Republic of Ireland? Is he going
to have a word with that country about its attitude?
Mr Mitchell
The Government have been absolutely clear on where we stand on
antisemitism and Islamophobia: we condemn both without
qualification and will continue to do so.
(North West Hampshire) (Con)
As the Minister knows, there has been no pause in violence in the
west bank, whose largely defenceless population has been
subjected over a number of months now to a campaign of what the
Americans and French have referred to as “terror”. The Minister
says he is asking tough questions and delivering tough messages
to both sides, but when will those tough messages turn into tough
action? The Americans have already said they will institute visa
bans against those settlers who are perpetrating violence, but we
have been talking about this for years to little or no effect.
Given the centrality of achieving a two-state solution, is there
not a strong case for us to take firm action against settlers,
those who arm them and those who support them?
Mr Mitchell
On his visit last week, the Foreign Secretary delivered very
strong messages, when he was in Ramallah and when he saw the
Israeli Government, about the importance of stopping settler
violence and ensuring that people are put before the courts and
punished—that if the perpetrators of settler violence were
identified, they could be put before the courts.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
The release of hostages and the increase in humanitarian aid is
very much to be welcomed, but I am sure the Minister and the
House agree that only a political solution can bring about a
lasting peace. In that spirit, will he support Labour’s calls for
a new middle east envoy? Also, I was not quite clear from his
answer to the Chair of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs,
so will he say that the UK state condemns and is utterly opposed
to the settlements?
Mr Mitchell
The position of the British Government on the illegal settlements
is absolutely clear. On the possibility of having an envoy, a
whole range of different envoys are engaged in this, but if it
was appropriate for us to deploy an envoy on behalf of the
Government—either a humanitarian or political envoy around the
region—we would have no hesitation in doing so.
(Clwyd West) (Con)
Despite the pause over the last few days, the humanitarian
situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and is likely to continue
to be catastrophic. While no one doubts the right
of Israel to defend
itself, the fact is that it is an occupying power and as such has
clear legal obligations to the civilians of Gaza, so when my
right hon. Friend next speaks to his Israeli opposite number will
he remind him of those obligations and ensure that even after the
pause ends sufficient aid is allowed to get through to the
population of Gaza?
Mr Mitchell
We are doing everything we can through the United Nations and
other contacts in the region to ensure that aid and support gets
through to those who need it so desperately in Gaza, and my right
hon. Friend may rest assured that we will continue to do
that.
(Hackney North and Stoke
Newington) (Ind)
The massacre by Hamas on 7 October is completely indefensible,
but the Minister will be aware that since then no fewer than
5,500 Gaza children have died and there are hundreds more
missing, probably under rubble. The Secretary-General of the UN
said Gaza is “a graveyard for children” and most recently the
executive director of UNICEF has said that pauses are not enough
and only a ceasefire will save children. When are the Government
going to use their good offices to press both sides for a
ceasefire?
Mr Mitchell
Regardless of whether the right hon. Lady’s figures are correct,
we know that there has been appalling loss of civilian life in
Gaza. In respect of what she says about the relative merits of a
pause or ceasefire, we can build on pauses, but I point out that
it is the policy of those on the Opposition Front Bench and the
Government to press for humanitarian pauses, and that is what the
British Government will continue to do.
(Buckingham) (Con)
The release of some hostages is incredibly welcome, but the price
for that is that Israel has taken the
difficult decision to release many Palestinian prisoners held for
terror offences, including bombings and stabbing attacks, in
exchange for its civilians held in Gaza in unimaginable
conditions. History shows us that previous security prisoners
released by Israel have gone on to
commit further terror offences. Does my right hon. Friend agree
that this should be of concern to the whole world and that we
must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel to support it to
combat terror?
Mr Mitchell
The point that my hon. Friend makes, particularly about prisoners
reoffending, underlines the importance of our pursuing every
possible way of getting on to a political track. When this
ghastly violence finishes, or is significantly diminished,
everyone must bend every conceivable sinew to drive forward a new
political process for peace.
(Edinburgh South West)
(SNP)
Few of us can imagine the trauma of being permanently displaced
from our homes and never allowed to return. Can the Minister
reassure the House that Israel will not take
land in Gaza, as some Israeli Ministers have threatened to do,
and that Palestinians will be allowed back to their homes and
lands, particularly given that 1.7 million out of 2.3 million
people living in Gaza have been displaced?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. and learned Lady is right to talk about the deeply
contentious issue of land, but what she says is, as I have
understood it, absolutely in accordance with the policy of the
British Government.
(Elmet and Rothwell)
(Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the pogrom that took place
on 7 October, followed by the horrific levels of antisemitism
that we have seen across our own country, let alone across the
western world, with people feeling frightened to leave their
homes for no other reason than their religion, shows why the
state of Israel has a right to
exist and must always be allowed to defend itself?
Mr Mitchell
My right hon. Friend is entirely correct. What happened on 7
October was a pogrom, and it was the worst loss of life by Jewish
citizens on any single day since the holocaust and 1945.
(Birmingham, Yardley)
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for his assistance in getting some of our
constituents from Birmingham out of Gaza. On his answer to the
hon. and learned Member for Edinburgh South West (), for clarity can he state
explicitly that UK Government policy is that every displaced
Gazan currently must be allowed to return to their lands?
Mr Mitchell
I thank the hon. Lady for her kind remarks, and I remind Members
from all parts of the House to use the hotline to communicate
with the emergency centre in the Foreign Office on behalf of
constituents. In terms of the Gazans who have been displaced by
the terrible events started by Hamas on 7 October, it is the
British Government’s policy that those displaced should be able
to return to the area from which they were driven.
(Hendon) (Con)
The mayor of Gaza City told al-Jazeera that not one litre of fuel
has reached the Gaza municipality, likely due to the fuel being
misappropriated. Why does the Minister think that the
international community should trust Hamas to distribute any
aid?
Mr Mitchell
As my hon. Friend will be aware, we are extremely careful about
how British aid is distributed and do it only through trusted
partners of whom we have long and detailed experience. This is
perhaps the most observed and scrutinised aid programme of any
that the British taxpayer and British Government pursue anywhere
in the world.
(North East Fife)
(LD)
In Home Office questions, I raised the case of a constituent on a
student visa whose five-year-old daughter is in southern Gaza,
and I am hoping for a similarly positive response from this
Minister. Were that visa to be granted, would that young girl be
allowed to travel with her grandmother into Egypt with the FCDO’s
support so that they can be reunited?
Mr Mitchell
It is unwise and difficult for me to give granular advice on that
specific situation from the Dispatch Box, but I will happily
speak to the hon. Lady immediately afterwards and ensure that we
do the best we can.
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
I strongly welcome my right hon. Friend’s remarks about
increasing aid to Gaza and the Palestinian people at this time,
and I note what he said about the care taken to ensure that
British aid reaches its intended target, but given what we now
know about the industrial scale of theft and misappropriation of
aid in Gaza over the years, who is making sure on the ground
right now that British aid is not being taken by Hamas
terrorists?
Mr Mitchell
For aid in Gaza, we have not dealt with either the Palestinian
Authority or the Hamas civil administration for many years, and
we do everything we can to ensure that it gets through to the
people who need it. He will have seen that, I think yesterday, a
British aircraft delivered 4,500 blankets and 4,500 sleeping mats
to al-Arish in Egypt. That was the fourth planeload. We will
continue to ensure not only that we supply as much aid as we
possibly can to meet the need, but that it gets to the right
place as speedily as possible.
(Bedford) (Lab)
Does the Minister share my grave concerns about what Prime
Minister Netanyahu’s recent chilling comments—that “Nothing will
stop us” and that he will fight “until the end”—will mean for
Palestine and the further massacring of innocent civilians? We
need an urgent ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life. How
many more Palestinian children must die before the Government
will call for a permanent ceasefire?
Mr Mitchell
Israel absolutely has the right to defend itself, following the
appalling events of 7 October. Of course, civilians, as well as
hospitals, must be protected under international humanitarian
law, but the hon. Member should be in no doubt that the Israeli
Government have the absolute right to defend themselves under
international law.
(St Austell and Newquay)
(Con)
The recent discovery of a tunnel from the Shifa Hospital to a
residential property is yet more clear evidence that Hamas are
using civilians as human shields in this conflict. Will the
Minister therefore join me in clearly condemning that activity,
and will he confirm that the Government will continue to
support Israel in its fight to
eradicate Hamas from the region?
Mr Mitchell
Yes.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
I, too, call for the pause to transition into a ceasefire. What
discussions have the Minister and the Foreign Secretary had about
opening up corridors for humanitarian aid to cross
between Israel and Gaza, in the
light of the poor infrastructure in Gaza for moving humanitarian
aid from the south to the north?
Mr Mitchell
We are in those discussions. As the hon. Member will know, the
access through Rafah is fettered by physical and non-physical
circumstances. When the Foreign Secretary was in the region last
week, he had specific discussions about other means of access
into Gaza, and we are doing everything we possibly can, together
with our humanitarian partners, to achieve a far greater degree
of access for humanitarian supplies.
(Bolton North East) (Con)
From the perspective of my constituents in Bolton, we are
watching the worst horror movie conceivable, and hitting pause
will only delay the suffering. Boltonians are asking: when can
all sides simply hit the stop button and bring about a ceasefire?
If a ceasefire is not possible, what discussions are we having
with Israeli and other counterparts about extending the pause
after today?
Mr Mitchell
My hon. Friend will have seen the discussions going on and the
offer that, apparently, the Israeli Government have made if extra
hostages are released. All those discussions are continuing.
Clearly, the longer the pause, the more support and humanitarian
supplies can get into Gaza. The British Government are doing
everything they can to progress both those things.
(Sunderland Central)
(Lab)
I welcome the Minister’s words that the Foreign Secretary is
exploring other crossings being opened to get aid into the south.
It is essential that that happens. If the hostilities resume, as
most people expect, what representations are the British
Government making to try to stop them moving south, where almost
2 million are displaced and there is nowhere else to go?
Mr Mitchell
I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave a little earlier about
the south. We are conscious of the fact that very large numbers
of people are kettled into the south, which makes the supply of
aid even more dangerous, unless there is a comprehensive
agreement that there will be no hostilities around the areas
where aid is being distributed. We are very conscious of that,
and we are working with our partners to make it as safe as
possible for aid to be distributed.
(Harrow East) (Con)
It is extremely good news that some hostages have been freed.
However, polling suggests that 75% of the Palestinian people
support the atrocities by Hamas, and 85% refuse to even consider
the coexistence of a Palestinian state with the state
of Israel At the moment,
Palestinian prisoners are being released to the west bank and
Hamas are getting the credit, so does the Minister accept that
there is a risk that Hamas not only dominate Gaza but end up
dominating the west bank as well?
Mr Mitchell
My hon. Friend’s comment underlines the importance of a political
track emerging and being pursued with great vigour as soon as
possible.
(Worsley and Eccles South)
(Lab)
I want to talk about the plight of women in Gaza, which a
constituent raised with me. Every day, 180 women in Gaza give
birth, most without water, painkillers, anaesthesia for caesarean
sections, medical supplies or, as we know, electricity for
incubators. With more than 5,000 women expected to give birth in
Gaza next month, will the Minister join Labour in calling
for Israel to protect
hospitals in Gaza and allow continued access to medicine, food,
water and electricity to protect those women and newborns during
birth?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Lady is right to draw attention to the very large
numbers of women who are seeking to give birth in extraordinarily
difficult circumstances. We are conscious of that in the aid and
humanitarian supplies that we are making available. I completely
understand the importance of the humanitarian support workers who
are in Gaza—extremely brave people who are putting themselves in
harm’s way to support their fellow citizens with humanitarian
supplies. Nowhere is that more true than in the area that she
described.
(Chelmsford) (Con)
It has been extremely moving to see hostages starting to come out
and aid starting to flow in. I hope that the truce will hold, but
if the hostilities start again, please can the UK Government make
every representation to Israel that, in its
legitimate efforts to stop the terrorism, it must do more to
prevent mass loss of civilian life, especially children?
Mr Mitchell
My right hon. Friend speaks with experience and wisdom, and the
answer is yes.
(Cardiff West) (Lab)
My constituent Adam Abu Warda has close family in Gaza and is
extremely anxious that they should have the opportunity to get
out and come to the UK, as other MPs have said. What is the
Government’s policy on our constituents wishing to get their very
close family out of Gaza to bring them to the UK?
Mr Mitchell
We are seeking, within the rules the hon. Gentleman will be aware
of, to facilitate, in every way we can, those people leaving
Gaza. As I said to one of our colleagues, it would not be
sensible for me to look at the granular detail of the specific
case he raises on the Floor of the House but, if he has contacted
the emergency consular support team in the Foreign, Commonwealth
and Development Office and has any concerns about the responses
he is getting, I am of course very happy, to look at it
myself.
(Brigg and Goole) (Con)
Three weeks ago today, my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Dr
Offord) and I were at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where we saw and heard
things we will never forget, and where the smell of rotting blood
and flesh was still pungent in the air, such was the butchery not
only of Hamas but Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the thousands of
Gazan civilians who streamed into the kibbutzim afterwards. There
are some in this place who seem to give the impression that the
only barriers to peace are the actions of the Israeli Government.
The facts are that it is Hamas who are responsible for every
death that occurs. It is the Palestinian Authority whose
textbooks preach hate against Jews, not just in Israel but around the
world. It is Palestinian Authority schools that were closed in a
day of celebration after 7 October and, as we heard from my hon.
Friend the Member for Harrow East (), hold such appalling views about coexistence. Will
the Minister, in his dealings with the Palestinian Authority,
encourage them to deal with their issues of extremism?
Mr Mitchell
I can tell my hon. Friend that the British Government are doing
everything they can to address the issues behind what he says. I
have no doubt, having been at that terrible location so recently,
that that is something he will never forget.
(Exeter) (Lab)
What is the Minister’s understanding and assessment of the
Netanyahu Government’s medium and long-term strategy for the Gaza
strip?
Mr Mitchell
The right hon. Gentleman, who is extremely experienced in these
matters, will draw his conclusions from what the Israeli
Government are saying, just as the British Government do.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
Now that the welcome temporary pause is under way, what steps are
the UK Government taking to press to ensure that it becomes an
enduring ceasefire as soon as possible, leading to a political
process for peace? Are the UK Government being clear with the
Israeli Government that, as they seek to continue in their
legitimate aim of destroying Hamas, a return to the relentless
bombardment, the razing of Gaza and the indiscriminate killing of
civilians is not acceptable, proportionate or within
international law?
Mr Mitchell
As the hon. Lady will know, Israel has an
absolute right to self-defence. It has been made clear around the
world that that is the right position, but it must abide by
international humanitarian law.
(Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op)
Nobody can help but be moved by the sight of hostages being
released. This weekend, the Minister for Immigration, the right
hon. Member for Newark (), on a public platform, said
that the UK Government
“will not rest until each and every one of them is back in the
loving embrace of their families,”
It is now more than a month since anybody at all from the UK
Government has had any contact at all with the UK citizens who
have family members as hostages—not a single phone call. The
Minister will know that I have come to this place and pleaded
with him to help arrange just five minutes of Lord Cameron’s time
with the hostage families to tell them what the Government are
actually doing to help get their family members released. It has
been other Governments who have helped to identify that their
family members are alive. Please, finally, can the Minister
listen to those UK citizens asking their Government, “What are
you doing to help get my family released?” and arrange that
meeting as an urgent matter?
Mr Mitchell
My understanding is not the same as the hon. Lady’s in respect of
the British hostages. She will know that over 200 British
nationals and their dependants have so far left Gaza, and we are
working around the clock to get the rest of those out who want to
leave. In terms of the hostages, my understanding is not the same
as she has said.
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
Does the Minister agree that we cannot accept civilians being
ordered to flee into areas that are then subject to bombardment?
Does he share the concerns of the UN and the World Health
Organisation about the proposals for a safe zone with no
infrastructure, which will cause more problems down the line?
Mr Mitchell
There are very serious problems with safe zones. We have learnt
about them the hard way from the events that took place in
Srebrenica, in—indeed—Rwanda, and in northern Iraq. It is an
absolute preoccupation of humanitarians—including those in the
United Nations, who are neuralgic about safe zones—to ensure that
if we are to distribute very large amounts of aid we have the
capacity to do so before too much longer, and we all hope that we
are able to do it in the safest possible way.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak)
(Lab)
I welcome the pause, with hostages released and aid delivered,
and I hope that it continues. I thank the right hon. Gentleman
for the role that he has played to date, but if this drip, drip
of hostage release is to continue, surely more must be done to
ratchet up the pressure and ensure that the Red Cross and the Red
Crescent gain access to the hostages about whom we have no
information. Is that not a priority now?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Gentleman is, of course, right: it is a priority. There
is some suggestion that while I have been on my feet in the
Chamber, Qatar has announced that the truce will be extended by
two days. Obviously we all hope that that is true, and that as a
result more hostages will be able to leave.
(Hammersmith) (Lab)
The Minister is known for his humanitarian instincts. Does he
agree that it is unthinkable now to resume the indiscriminate
destruction of Gaza and the lives of Palestinian civilians? Is he
urging on the Israeli Government the need to find a means of
removing the threat from Hamas that does not cost the lives of
thousands of women, children and other non-combatants?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Gentleman speaks with wisdom about the position of
civilians. All of us hope that the loss of life among innocent
civilians can be minimised, but I would point out to him that the
Israeli Government have an absolute right to go after the
murderous terrorists of Hamas who perpetrated the dreadful events
of 7 October.
(Glasgow North) (SNP)
I have heard from a number of constituents in Glasgow North who
are concerned that weapons either manufactured in the UK or sold
by UK companies are being used in this conflict. Can the Minister
say how regularly the UK is assessing its obligations under the
arms trade treaty to ensure that arms are not being transferred
when there is a risk of their being used to commit or facilitate
breaches of international humanitarian law?
Mr Mitchell
As the hon. Gentleman will know, the British rules for the export
of arms, scrutinised by the Committees on Arms Export Controls,
provide for the toughest regulations anywhere in the world. If he
ever believes that those rules have been infracted in any way, he
should of course inform the requisite authorities.
(Bradford East) (Lab)
Despite the four-day truce, there remains a humanitarian
emergency in Gaza. We cannot return to the indiscriminate and
unprecedented killing that we have seen take place on such a
horrific scale over the last seven weeks; we need to see a
lasting, permanent ceasefire. As I have been repeatedly urging
the Minister, will the Government use the UK’s influence at this
crucial moment to secure the ceasefire, so that we can see an end
to the bloodshed and the war crimes, allow desperately needed aid
to reach all parts of Gaza, and create space for the immediate
return of all hostages and meaningful negotiations on a lasting
peace?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Gentleman will know that we are doing everything we can
to ensure that the aid and support to which he has referred
reaches those who need it. Of course, if we build on a
humanitarian pause, the longer the pause goes on and the longer
there are meaningful negotiations in Qatar, or through Qatar, the
better. The hon. Gentleman will also be aware, however, that it
is the policy of his own Front Bench as well as the British
Government not to call for a ceasefire—which, for the reasons I
have given, would be impractical in any event—but to pursue the
pauses that are desperately needed for humanitarian relief to
arrive.
Mrs (Birmingham, Erdington)
(Lab)
Does the Minister agree that to prevent a catastrophic outbreak
of waterborne diseases such as cholera, we need to see fresh
water flowing and sanitation and hygiene supplies being delivered
on a large scale, alongside key public health and medical
support?
Mr Mitchell
Those are indeed the supplies that are necessary to stop the
situation that the hon. Lady described developing further. There
is a very real risk of waterborne diseases and cholera breaking
out in Gaza, and that is why we are diligently pursuing the
humanitarian policies I have set out in every way we can.
(East Antrim) (DUP)
No one would wish to withhold the aid that has been given to the
innocent civilians—who, let’s face it, are only suffering because
of a war instigated by Hamas terrorists—but does the Minister
agree that this cynical drip-feed release of hostages is a
further act of terror by Hamas and that the pauses in the
fighting will be used by them to regroup and rearm? Will he give
me a reassurance that our Government will not fall into the trap
of acceding to Hamas’s incessant demands for indefinite pauses,
rather than allowing the Israeli Government to do what they need
to do, which is to engage in security action to destroy Hamas in
their own dens?
Mr Mitchell
The right hon. Gentleman underlines the fact that Israel has every right
to exercise its self-defence in rooting out the Hamas terrorists
and murderers. The British Government are very clear that what he
has said about that is absolutely right.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
Given that Hamas have been crystal clear that they have no
intention of ever wanting a permanent ceasefire, what discussions
have been had with the Palestinian Authority to build its
capacity and competence, to ensure the transition to a two-state
solution?
Mr Mitchell
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments about Hamas and the
ceasefire, with which I completely agree. In respect of building
Palestinian capacity, he will know that was in Ramallah last week
discussing that and many other associated matters with President
Abbas, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister there.
(Livingston) (SNP)
I was incredibly relieved to get my constituent’s family, 13 of
them, across the border and home through Egypt. I pay tribute to
the staff in the consular section who supported them, but the
support was patchy and the cost of them returning was over £5,000
on commercial flights. What more can the Minister do to
supercharge that consular support and to reimburse those families
who had to come home on commercial flights? Would he consider
meeting my constituent’s family to learn the lessons that they
have experienced of having to flee in the middle of a
bombardment?
Mr Mitchell
I will certainly be pleased to arrange for Foreign Office
officials to meet the hon. Lady’s constituent’s family if she
believes that there are lessons to be learned, but I also want to
pay a special tribute to all the men and women who work in the
emergency centre at the Foreign Office, who have often been
working through the night throughout this emergency and have done
so with huge diligence, tenacity and commitment.
(Ealing North) (Lab/Co-op)
As many other Members have made clear, a two-state solution is
critical to a lasting peace. So, given the announcements made
today, can the Minister make clear the UK’s complete opposition
to illegal settlements in the west bank?
Mr Mitchell
The position of the British Government—and, I believe, the
Opposition—is one of complete opposition to illegal
settlements.
(East Lothian) (Alba)
Many of us believe that a humanitarian pause is inadequate, as
Israeli aggression continues unabated, but that would be as
nothing in terms of a failure to support a ceasefire if Britain
were to be complicit in any way with Israeli aggression. Can the
Minister give us an assurance that the base at RAF Akrotiri in
Cyprus is not being used by the US military to
supply Israel and that
British military and intelligence sites in Cyprus will likewise
not be used to support Israel or America in
this conflict?
Mr Mitchell
I think the hon. Gentleman confuses the role of the British
Government, which has been set out clearly by the Prime Minister
and by me in the House. He will also know that when it comes to
the use of intelligence assets and so forth, we do not discuss
those matters across the Floor of the House.
(Tiverton and Honiton)
(LD)
It was welcome this weekend to see the release of Israeli child
hostages. It was also welcome a moment ago to hear the Minister
talk about a possible two-day extension to the pause in fighting.
We heard two weeks ago from the Israeli Foreign Minister, who
said:
Israel has some two or
three weeks until international pressure seriously begins to
increase”.
He said that the pressure was “not particularly high” but was
increasing. Given that the Israeli Government were not feeling
pressured internationally a fortnight ago, how can the Minister
be sure that the pressure from the UK Government is being felt
now, so that the rules of engagement of the Israel Defence Forces
will distinguish between terrorists and civilians?
Mr Mitchell
The people who serve in the Israel Defence
Forces are taught, as part of their basic training, the
importance of abiding by international humanitarian law. I would
contrast the Israel Defence Forces,
who seek to defend Israeli citizens, with Hamas, who seek to use
their citizens to defend Hamas.
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