Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Cunningham Excerpts

Tuesday 4th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

15. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the peace process in Israel and Palestine.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

19. What assessment he has made of the effect of recent rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.

[The Minister for the Middle East (Alistair Burt)]

There is an urgent need to restart the peace process, and we regularly press Israel and the Palestinians to resume direct negotiations towards a two-state solution. We are in close consultation with international partners on how to encourage the parties to the middle east peace process to reverse the negative trends on the ground. Rocket fire and other violence makes achieving peace more difficult.

[Alex Cunningham]

I am grateful for that answer. The World Health Organisation reports that 10 Palestinian people, including a pregnant woman and her two children, were killed and more than 400 were injured by Israeli forces in one week in August. Instead of deploying even more chatter, why will the international community not actually act and protect some of the most vulnerable people on earth?

[Alistair Burt]

The experiences in Gaza and the crisis we have seen over the summer have different roots and causes. It is essential that all those who are contributing in any way to the violence in relation to the process desist and find a way through to the peace opportunities that are there. We deeply regret the loss of life, and it is essential that all sides respond to that. Also, the violence that comes from Gaza towards Israel is making negotiations very difficult.