The petition of residents of the constituency of Manchester Gorton,
Declares that an urgent, immediate and sustained ceasefire is needed in Gaza to prevent the humanitarian crisis from intensifying; further declares condemnation for the killing of the civilians, the bombing of public infrastructure, and the targeting of journalists; calls for the immediate release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas; and notes that an immediate end to the violence is urgent to ensure the viability for a peaceful two-state solution.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to call on Israel and Hamas to implement an immediate ceasefire to prevent further bloodshed and damage so that a peaceful two-state solution may be achieved in Palestine and Israel.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Afzal Khan, Official Report, 24 January 2024; Vol. 744, c. 406.]
[P002905]
Observations from the Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
We want the fighting to stop now. An agreement will allow for vital life-saving aid to be delivered to Gaza, hostages to be released and progress made towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.
Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history at the hands of Hamas.
Palestinian civilians are facing a dire, devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
We want the fighting to stop now. An agreement will allow for vital life-saving aid to be delivered to Gaza, hostages to be released and progress made towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Vital elements for a lasting peace include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas’s capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Minister of State for the Middle East have reiterated these points in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as with leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.
We need to see an end to civilian casualties and a robust deconfliction mechanism. All parties must act within international humanitarian law (IHL). Israel must limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.
Palestinians are facing a devastating and shocking humanitarian crisis. We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. The UK and our partners are stepping up our efforts to get aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) in responding to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
Israel must also take immediate steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity. This must happen to prevent suffering and the projected starvation of civilians, particularly in northern Gaza.
The Foreign Secretary has appointed his Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
We must give the people of the west bank and Gaza the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future, and it needs to be irreversible.
This is not entirely in our gift, but Britain and our partners can help by confirming our commitment to a sovereign, viable Palestine, and our focus for its composition.
Crucially, we must state our clear intention to grant Palestine recognition, including at the United Nations. That cannot come at the start of the process, but it does not have to be the very end of the process.
We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.