Gaza: Humanitarian Situation

Baroness Fox of Buckley Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We are providing £112 million to the Occupied Territories, and £41 million specifically for UNRWA, because we understand that it is desperate. We want the conflict to stop, we want the violence to stop and we want children to be safe. We are unable to achieve that immediately, but what we ought to be able to achieve very quickly is to get that aid in. At the moment that depends on facilitation by the Israeli Government. That has not been happening, and that is what we are calling for.

[Baroness Fox of Buckley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, the humanitarian cost of the horrors of war is especially brutal in winter—though shocking in any circumstances. I am nervous when the main culprit named so far in this debate is Israel, as though nobody else is involved. To go back to the Question, aid that gets through is not being distributed. Israel is not to blame for that; it is because Hamas and the forces there are not allowing it to get to those who need it. I just cannot let this Question go without reminding noble Lords of the hostages, particularly Emily Damari, who is a British citizen. This war did not come out of nowhere. Israel did not start it and is not to blame for its horrific consequences.

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Where I agree with the noble Baroness is that the hostages ought to be released, and released immediately. They ought to be at home with their families, and she is right to raise that. I do not agree with the suggestion that it is a futile act to get aid in to support those children. It has been proven through the vaccine programme that, where there is the will to do this, it can be done at speed and at scale. Our view is that UNRWA is best placed to deliver that, which is why we are calling for UNRWA immediately to be able to access Gaza in the way that it needs in order to get those supplies in quickly.