Gaza: Ceasefire

Debate between Lord Singh of Wimbledon and Lord Collins of Highbury

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I think my noble friend knows that we have considered the risk of breach of humanitarian law and have taken action to mitigate that risk. I also want to stress how we have worked with allies. On 5 March, together with France and Germany, we expressed our deep concern at Israel’s halt on aid to Gaza and urged it to lift restrictions. The Foreign Secretary also made this clear to the Israeli Foreign Minister during their call on 5 March. On 28 January, the then Minister for Development announced a further £17 million of healthcare aid. The situation is no doubt dire. We cannot see the return to the violence we have seen before. We want this ceasefire to hold. We want to see the return of hostages and we are doing everything we can with our allies to ensure that that is the case.

[Lord Singh of Wimbledon (CB)]

My Lords—

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[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I agree with my noble friend. I must sound like I am constantly repeating myself, but I think this is worth repeating. We had on the table an agreement that provided for the release of hostages and for there to be a return to full aid going into Gaza. That is the solution: get back to the table and implement the ceasefire agreement. I stress that we are in diplomatic contact with all our allies in the region and we are certainly urging them to ensure that all sides, particularly Hamas, deliver on their commitments in that ceasefire agreement.

[Lord Singh of Wimbledon (CB)]

My Lords, with all the reservations we have heard about the excesses of Israel in Gaza in this House, from the Foreign Secretary and in many other parts of the world, why are we still supplying arms to Israel?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I think the noble Lord knows full well that we took decisive actions in terms of arms supplies to the IDF that might be used in Gaza. We followed our own international humanitarian guidelines in that respect. We took decisive action when we felt that there was a risk to international humanitarian law being applied. So the simple answer to the noble Lord is that we have acted.

Gaza Crisis

Debate between Lord Singh of Wimbledon and Lord Collins of Highbury

Monday 14th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

The simple fact of the matter is that we have responded to the arms embargo based on an assessment of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law. In that assessment, we have made decisions on suspending export licences that we assess do not risk facilitating military operations. They include 60 military items—for example, trainer aircraft and other naval equipment—and other non-military items, such as food-testing chemicals, and telecoms and data equipment. On exports, the F35 programme covered in principle by this suspension is for parts that can be identified as going directly to Israel. However, this is an international programme where we cannot be absolutely certain where those parts are going. That is why we have covered it in relation to the F35. The noble Lord can be assured that we will be determined to comply with international humanitarian law and will take the necessary steps where appropriate.

[Lord Singh of Wimbledon (CB)]

My Lords, recorded history states that Palestinians were forcibly removed from the homes that they had lived in for centuries, by the Stern Gang, Irgun Zvai Leumi and others whom we then called terrorists, to create the State of Israel in 1948. Does the Minister agree that it is shameful and beyond belief that, in the 70 years that have passed, instead of helping displaced Palestinians to build a new life, the West has been selling arms to Israel to bomb schools, hospitals and even UN refugee centres in Gaza and the West Bank, killing tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children in atrocities condemned by the UN and all human rights organisations?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Lord mentioned 1948. The State of Israel exists and was approved of legally under international law. There is a duty on us all to defend its right to exist. However, that is no excuse for any breaches by any party to international humanitarian law. I reassure the noble Lord that we as a Government will be determined to uphold international law and condemn whichever side commits offences against it. What we obviously need to do, as we have done since 1948, is to defend Israel’s right to exist and promote a two-state solution, whereby a Palestinian state can live in harmony with its neighbours. That is the vital next step, and I am sure that it will achieve peace and security for all.