Middle East: UN
Security Council
(Wimbledon) (Con)
2. What recent steps he has taken through the UN Security Council
to support progress towards a sustainable peace in the middle
east.(902563)
The Deputy Foreign Secretary (Mr )
The UK played a leading role in securing the passage of Security
Council resolutions 2728 and 2720, which set out the urgent
demand for expanded humanitarian access.
The way to a sustainable peace, as my right hon. Friend says, is
through humanitarian access. Could he please confirm what the UK
Government are doing to ensure the full funding of UNRWA again,
and what they will do to stop the Hamas terrorist group affecting
the supply of aid to Palestinian citizens?
Mr Mitchell
My hon. Friend is right about the importance of aid getting in,
and UNRWA is a critical organisation in achieving that. He will
know that we have had a chance to look at the Colonna report, and
I spoke about this matter with the UN Secretary-General yesterday
when I was in New York. We are waiting for the report of the
Office of Internal Oversight Services, which we expect to hear
about soon, and we will then reach our conclusions on the best
way of getting aid into Gaza. My hon. Friend may rest assured
that we are doing everything we can to ensure that aid gets
in.
(Bradford East) (Lab)
Next Sunday will mark 100 days since the International Court of
Justice warned of a genocide in Gaza, yet the Israeli military
continues to ignore the legally binding orders of the world's
highest court, continues to bomb Gaza indiscriminately and
continues to block vital humanitarian aid, all while the UK
stands by and lets the right-wing Netanyahu Cabinet blatantly
undermine the court's legitimacy.
Can the Minister explain to me just what blatantly disregarding
international courts and openly violating UN ceasefire
resolutions means for the rules-based order he claims to uphold,
because to me, my constituents, the Palestinians and countless
persecuted groups across the world, frankly these rules are now
not worth the paper they are written on?
Mr Mitchell
What the hon. Gentleman says—the way he reflects on what the ICJ
said—is not accurate. The ICJ called for hostage release, for
more aid into Gaza and for Israel not to commit
acts that violate the rights of Palestinians. The Government
agree with those three points.
Sir (New Forest East) (Con)
Will the Deputy Foreign Secretary take the message back to his
boss that the insertion of British troops on the ground in Gaza
will simply play into the hands of those who wish to divert
attention further away from the existential conflict between
Russia and Ukraine? Does he share my sadness that there is not a
single mention of Ukraine in any of the questions on today's
Order Paper?
Mr Mitchell
My right hon. Friend will know that the Government are absolutely
committed to doing everything we can to help Ukraine. He will
have seen the Prime Minister's announcement last week on the
increase in defence spending, and where that announcement was
made.
I very much hope that my right hon. Friend will not draw any
conclusions from today's Order Paper, but note specifically this
Government's driving ambition to ensure that Ukraine is
successful in beating back the Russians.
(Edinburgh East) (SNP)
The creation of a sustainable peace in the middle east will
require the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967
borders. The Deputy Foreign Secretary will know that Prime
Minister Netanyahu is now implacably opposed to the creation of
such a state, so what will the UK do to oblige Israel to comply with
the international peace process? Does he think a sustainable
peace is possible so long as Mr Netanyahu remains in power?
Mr Mitchell
Many voices are heard within Israel but the
hon. Gentleman will recognise that the predominant view of the
region, of the United Nations and of the regional powers, the
great powers and the British Government is that a two-state
solution is required, with both Palestine and Israel living behind
secure borders in peace and safety.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Foreign Secretary.
Mr (Tottenham) (Lab)
More than 30,000 Palestinians are dead, more than 100 Israeli
hostages are still unaccounted for and Gaza is facing famine. The
war must end now with an immediate ceasefire. That needs both
sides to agree. It was Hamas, not Israel who
rejected the last internationally brokered ceasefire deal. Now a
new offer is on the table, and Hamas now have the power to stop
the fighting. Does the Minister agree that Hamas should accept
this deal and avert a catastrophic continuation of this war?
Mr Mitchell
Yes. The right hon. Gentleman makes a very good point and,
although these negotiations are fluid at the moment, he is right
to say that Hamas should accept the deal that has been put on the
table.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
The Minister knows that securing a sustainable peace will require
a massive aid and rebuilding programme, in which UNRWA will have,
and must have, a crucial part to play. Indeed, he has previously
acknowledged that UNRWA has a vital role to play in providing aid
and services in Gaza. Why, then, having assured this House that
he will come to a decision on the future of UNRWA's funding when
he received Catherine Colonna's interim report, has he sat on
that report for 10 days and said absolutely nothing about
restoring funding? He now seems to be setting us up for even
further delay. It is simply not good enough. Will he now tell us
when this Government will make a decision on UNRWA's funding?
Mr Mitchell
We have been very clear that we are waiting for not one but two
reports. As I say, I discussed this matter yesterday with the UN
Secretary-General. We know very well, as the hon. Gentleman does,
that the assets UNRWA has in terms of logistics, vehicles,
warehouses and so forth, are essential for the supply of
humanitarian relief within Gaza. We are considering the matter
carefully. He will also know that Britain is not currently in
deficit in its funding; we are fully funded at this point for
UNRWA. It has also received additional resources, including
private resources as well as new Governments coming in to support
it. We will consider carefully both those two reports in full and
then make a decision, and I will come back to the House to inform
it when that decision is reached.
Gaza: Humanitarian
Situation
(Bedford) (Lab)
6. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian
situation in Gaza.(902567)
(Blyth Valley) (Con)
9. What steps he is taking to help get more aid into
Gaza.(902570)
(Bolton South East)
(Lab)
14. What recent assessment he has made of the implications for
his policies of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.(902576)
(Bradford West) (Lab)
20. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian
situation in Gaza.(902583)
The Deputy Foreign Secretary (Mr )
We have trebled our aid commitment in the past year and we are
doing all we can to get more aid to Gaza by land, air and
sea.
The Colonna review was given no evidence to back up claims by the
Israeli Government that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7
October attacks. Other countries have already restored funding to
the aid agency, so it can continue its work feeding tens of
thousands of people who are starving in Gaza, including innocent
babies who are dying without milk. Will the Minister commit to
refunding today? Or will he continue to risk UK complicity in
using famine as a weapon of war?
Mr Mitchell
I have set out the process by which we will judge how and when to
restore funding to UNRWA, but the situation has improved in
recent weeks. The hon. Member will have seen that fuel for
bakeries has been restored. We are pressing for the activation of
the water pipeline and, over the past week, we have been
averaging more than 200 trucks each day. Progress has been made,
but there needs to be a lot more progress, and Britain will
continue to press for it.
When Putin invaded Ukraine, the people of Blyth, Cramlington and
Seaton Valley came together and generously gave what they could
spare. With help from local companies, such as Moody Logistics
and Storage in Cramlington, we were able to ensure that aid
reached those who had lost their homes and their belongings. What
plans does my right hon. Friend's Department have in place to get
aid from the UK to Gaza?
Mr Mitchell
I pay tribute to the good people of Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton
Valley for their generosity, and to my hon. Friend for helping to
channel that goodwill so constructively. His constituents will
want to support reputable non-governmental organisations and
charities working to support humanitarian relief in Gaza.
Israel has forced more than 1 million Palestinians to flee to
Rafah, claiming it to be a safe zone, yet for months the Israeli
military have been bombing Palestinians there relentlessly and,
according to the UN, killing mostly women and children. Now it is
planning a ground invasion that will lead to carnage. Does the
Minister agree that President Biden could stop this with one
phone call, and will he press him to do so?
Mr Mitchell
President Biden has been very heavily engaged in this matter. As
the hon. Member knows, both the American and British Governments
have pressed Israel not to launch an
all-out assault on Rafah for the reasons that she set out. The
shadow Foreign Secretary rightly said that he hopes that Hamas
will accept the current deal on the table, and I agree with
him.
An Israel ground invasion
in Rafah is probable within days, leading to 1.5 million
displaced Palestinians with no safe place to shelter. Children in
Gaza have been starved at the fastest rate that the world has
ever seen, and Members across the House, including myself, have
come here time and again asking for something to be done in terms
of delivering aid and pushing for a ceasefire. Time and again,
the Minister says that we are trying, trying, trying, but clearly
trying is not working. What will the Government do to move the
dial and stop children dying?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Member will have seen the 6 April maritime announcement
and she will know that Britain is ramping up the delivery of aid
by land, sea and air. She will, I hope, be aware that we have a
naval ship standing by with £9.7 million of aid and logistics
equipment. There have also been 10 air drops already from the
Royal Air Force; an 11th one is expected today. Therefore, the
British Government are doing everything they possibly can to move
the dial, as she requests.
(North West Hampshire) (Con)
As the Minister will know, it is not only Governments and NGOs
supporting Palestinians across Israel the west
bank and Gaza, but a lot of charities. I have been contacted by
one such charity, ABCD, which operates a centre for disabled
Palestinian children in the Nur Shams refugee camp. It tells me
that its centre has been raided and destroyed not once, but
several times, by the Israeli army—not by settlers. What more can
the Government do to protect the facilities and personnel of
British charities operating in the Palestinian territories?
Mr Mitchell
My right hon. Friend will know that we do everything that we can
in that respect, but if he is able to give me some specific
details about that particular charity and what has befallen it, I
will look into it.
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
The Prime Minister has identified getting aid in and getting
hostages out as two key priorities for the UK
Government. Israel is facilitating
aid getting into Gaza by air, land and sea, with 468 trucks
entering the area in a single day. We are seeing real progress on
aid; when will we see progress on hostages, too?
Mr Mitchell
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. We need to see
breathing space so that we can get the hostages out and more aid
in; in spite of what she says, the aid that is getting in at the
moment is not sufficient. That is precisely the policy of the
British Government, and we will continue to pursue it with all
vigour.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Caerphilly) (Lab)
Given that the Colonna report makes clear that donors should have
confidence in UNRWA and that Australia, France, Germany, Sweden,
Canada, Japan and Denmark have all restored funding, and with
Gaza facing famine, I ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary again:
when will the Government do what Labour has called for and
restore full funding to UNRWA?
Mr Mitchell
As I have set out, we are looking at all those reports and we
will make a decision in our own time. Britain is not falling
short in that respect, because we are currently fully funded on
all the earlier commitments we made. We will look at the Office
of Internal Oversight Services report and the UNRWA reaction to
it. We are aware of non-traditional donors and private donations
coming in, and UNRWA is fully funded until the end of May. When
we reach our conclusion, I will be sure to inform the House of
it.
Strategic Export
Licences: Israel
(Midlothian) (SNP)
7. If the Government will revoke strategic export licences
to Israel (902568)
The Deputy Foreign Secretary (Mr )
As required by the UK's robust arms export control regime, the
Foreign Secretary has reviewed the most recent advice about the
situation in Gaza and Israel's conduct of its military campaign.
The British position on export licences is unchanged, but we will
keep that position under review.
Given that the very purpose of the UK's arms export licence
criteria is to apply a precautionary principle to arms sales to
prevent them from fuelling future atrocities, and given the
extensive evidence of potential war crimes and violations of
international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza,
surely it is clear that the UK export licensing system is not
working. Does the Minister agree with me and the countless
Midlothian constituents who have been in touch with me that the
Government should now suspend the transfer of arms
to Israel in order to
prevent future atrocities, and does he agree that UK Government
policy allows for that decision to be made at the discretion of
Ministers, outside the failed export licensing system?
Mr Mitchell
Our position on the arms embargo is consistent with most of our
like-minded partners, who have not taken any decision to suspend
existing arms export licences to Israel It would
be an odd decision for us to take when we have used our own
military weaponry to defend Israel from the
attacks by Iran.
Sir (Northampton North) (Con)
Exports are linked to law, of course, and the White House said
yesterday that the International Criminal Court does not have
jurisdiction over Israel because, rather
like the USA, it is not a signatory to the statute of Rome, which
set up the Court. More than three years ago the then British
Prime Minister wrote an open letter saying that the UK does not
accept that the ICC has jurisdiction, again because of the
statute of Rome and the absence of sovereignty over the situation
in the region. Can the Deputy Foreign Secretary confirm that that
is still the position of His Majesty's Government?
Mr Mitchell
I can tell my right hon. and learned Friend that we do not think
that the ICC has that jurisdiction, as was set out in the letter
to which he referred, but it is a matter for the ICC ultimately
to reach a determination on that.
Rafah: Military
Offensive
(Rochdale) (WPB)
11. If the Government will make an assessment of the potential
impact of a military offensive in Rafah on the humanitarian
situation in that area.(902573)
The Deputy Foreign Secretary (Mr )
We are deeply concerned about the prospect of a military
offensive in Rafah. We need an immediate humanitarian pause to
get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a permanent,
sustainable ceasefire.
The Foreign Secretary is fortunate to have such an able deputy,
which makes it all the more difficult to understand the inherent
complacency in that answer. We are hours away from a bloodbath
that will make Falluja pale into insignificance—it will be the
worst bloodbath seen in the world since the second world war.
Some 1.6 million people, most of them women and children, are 72
hours away from a full-scale invasion. The Minister keeps saying
that we are going to press Israel what are the
Government going to do about it if it happens?
Mr Mitchell
The hon. Gentleman and I first entered this House on the same
day, nearly 40 years ago, and it is no surprise to see him back
in his place. It has to be said that throughout that time his
views have been remarkably consistent. Given the number of
civilians sheltering in Rafah, it is not easy to see how such an
offensive could be compliant with international humanitarian law
in the current circumstances, and on his overall point, I hope he
will recognise that the British Government are doing everything
we can to prevent the circumstances he has described.
(Bolton North East) (Con)
“Sustainable calm” is the latest buzzword, but the fighting
simply has to stop. In the past two days, Palestinian President
Abbas has said that in order for there to be sustainable calm or
a ceasefire, the United States must give a warning
to Israel What warnings
have the UK Government given to Israel when it
comes to a possible ground invasion in Rafah?
Mr Mitchell
I refer my hon. Friend to the comments I made earlier. He will
know that the British and American Governments have been working
in lockstep to prevent the situation he has described.
Topical
Questions
(Rochdale) (WPB)
T4. When the International Court of Justice, almost 100 days ago,
sent Israel for trial,
plausibly on charges of genocide, the British Government called
it a foreign court. What attitude will the Government take if, as
is widely reported, the British King's Counsel chief prosecutor
of the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for
Benjamin Netanyahu?(902590)
Mr Mitchell
I think the hon. Gentleman is speculating in an extraordinary
manner. What the Court said at the time was that the hostages
should be released, that there should be more aid into Gaza and
that Israel should not
commit acts that violate the rights of Palestinians. That is
where the Court rests at this point, and we must wait for further
events.
(Leeds East) (Lab)
Israel's deliberate and wilful starvation of Gaza is a war crime,
yet the Government deflect all questions on UNRWA funding by
saying that it runs until the end of April. We are here—today is
the last day of April. If the Government do not restore UNRWA
funding, are they not aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes?
Mr Mitchell
I have made very clear the Government's position on UNRWA. We are
in a process, and after it has been completed I will report to
the House.
