Israel and Hamas: Humanitarian Pause Debate
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Baroness Keeley
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Israel and Hamas: Humanitarian Pause
Baroness Keeley Excerpts(1 year ago)
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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.
Barbara Keeley (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.