Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Visit

Baroness Janke Excerpts

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement and I welcome the meeting held yesterday between the Government and Prime Minister Mustafa. We on these Benches are clear that an effective Palestinian Authority is vital for lasting peace and progress towards a two-state solution in the region. The Palestinian people deserve the dignity and stability that statehood can bring, and there should be a negotiated settlement leading, as affirmed by the Minister, to a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

I welcome the efforts made by the Government to continue the work of the previous Government in reaching this outcome. I note the memorandum of understanding signed by the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Mustafa, which enshrined their commitment to advancing Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution. Building and maintaining rapport with partners in the Palestinian Authority is essential, but we need to make sure that the recognition of a Palestinian state comes at a time that is most conducive to the peace process. Recognition cannot be the start of the process. Hamas is still being fought in parts of Gaza, and Israeli hostages remain in captivity. Ensuring that Hamas is no longer in charge of Gaza and removing its capacity to launch attacks against Israel are essential and unavoidable steps on the road to a lasting peace. Does the Minister agree with this position? Does she see recognition as the culmination of a process rather than its beginning?

In the immediate term, we must prioritise getting the hostages out and getting more aid in. That is crucial for making progress towards a sustainable end to the current conflict. The previous Government produced clear proposals for getting aid into affected areas and put them to the Government of Israel. They included the delivery of aid through Ashdod and Erez, as well as Kerem Shalom and the Jordan land corridor. Israel made a number of significant and welcome commitments on these points, as well as on approving further forms of aid, but fulfilment of those commitments is vital. Will the Minister please update the House on what discussions His Majesty’s Government are having with partners in Israel to ensure that these obligations are met?

We are clear that Hamas cannot ever have influence in Gaza again. It is therefore important that the Palestinian Authority commits to undertake serious, measurable and tangible reforms on education, welfare policy and democracy to strengthen resilience against this threat in the future. Will the Minister update the House on what work the Government are doing with Palestinian Authority to advance progress in these areas? Can she assure us that these are discussed in talks with partners in the authority? Progress on this issue needs a collaborative approach and we are also clear that, just as the Palestinian Authority must act, so must Israel. That means releasing frozen funds, halting settlement expansion and holding to account those responsible for extremist settler violence.

We want to see a sustainable end to the conflict in Gaza, the release of the hostages and more done to get humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinian civilians. We welcome the steps taken by the Government to work with the Palestinian Authority and hope that they will continue our work to reach a lasting solution and a future in which Hamas will never have a place.

[Baroness Janke (LD)]

My Lords, we too welcome the meeting of the UK Government with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa and his colleagues. We also welcome the memorandum of understanding, and the restatement of commitment to the two-state solution and the involvement of the Palestinian Authority in the future of Gaza, as well as the strategic partnership based on economic development and institutional reform. This is a forward-looking development. It does, however, raise some questions, particularly of commitment. What discussions have the UK Government had with the United States on the centrality of Palestinian involvement in the future of Gaza? In the light of the remarks made by President Trump, it does not look to be a very deliverable proposal.

The atrocities being committed in Gaza on civilians, many of them women and children, together with the systematic destruction of the health system, continue to shock the world. There is no fully functioning hospital in Gaza despite the indiscriminate bombing and shooting of Palestinians and the devastating injuries that result. Can the Minister say whether future progress on the memorandum of understanding may require the UK to stop arming Israel to carry out indiscriminate killing and destruction in Gaza?

What commitment did the UK Government make to Prime Minister Mustafa to do all in their power to end the blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where, after 50 days of blockade, supplies have run out and civilians, including large numbers of children, are starving to death, even though supplies of crucial food and water are readily available over the border. [Interruption.] I hear that I am being heckled from a sedentary position. I believe that this is not in order in this House. We heard reports from the humanitarian agencies in Gaza that there is not even enough water to make formula food for babies, and that babies are dying as well. The noble Lord may shake his head; if he has evidence to the contrary, I would like to see it.

In the light of the deliberations of the ICJ, will the UK Government commit to abiding by the court’s judgment? Commitment to the two-state solution will be worth little if further action of the Israeli Government should be to annex the illegally occupied West Bank. In the light of statements made by Israeli Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir and increasing violence supported by the IDF, what are the UK Government doing to ensure that this does not happen? In the light of the accelerating violence, will the UK sanction further violent settlers?

The Labour manifesto contained a commitment to recognise the Palestinian state, but the Government have so far failed to do so. In 2014, the House of Commons voted to recognise the Palestinian state, and the state of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign state by 148 of the 193 member states of the United Nations, or just over 75% of all UN members. The Government have said that they will recognise Palestine when this is most conducive to a peace process, but if not now, can the Minister say what factors must change for this to happen? We read that France is planning recognition at the June reconstruction conference, and international momentum is now growing. The UK risks missing a crucial moment to support a just resolution and recognise its own responsibility in the history of the current context.

The meeting and its outcome are to be welcomed, but a very significant sign of good faith would be for the UK to recognise the inalienable right of the Palestinians to have their own internationally recognised state and homeland. I hope that the Minister will restate the Government’s commitment on this fundamental principle, and that we will see action on it in the near future.

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

My Lords, I welcome the support that we have had from both Front Benches for the two-state solution, and the support for the meeting that was held.

I have to say that we agree with the Front Bench opposite on the issue of recognition. Our position has been consistent, in that we will recognise Palestine as part of a process at a moment when we judge that it is most conducive to peace. I do not think that is now. It may be, as I was asked, the culmination of a process, or it may come at some point within a process. As noble Lords have said, it would be a significant step. It is something you can do only once, so it is important that you pick the moment to do it, at a time when you will have the greatest impact.

On the blocking of aid, the denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is appalling. Access to aid is an area where our international humanitarian law assessments continue to raise concerns about possible breaches. Blocking goods, supplies and power entering Gaza risks breaching international humanitarian law. It should not be happening, and we are doing everything we can to alleviate the situation. The Foreign Secretary continues to raise these issues with his counterparts, including most recently at a meeting with the Foreign Minister on 15 April. We continue to call publicly and privately on the Government of Israel to abide by their international obligations when it comes to humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza.

I was asked about our ministerial engagement with the US. Since hostilities resumed, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Secretary Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Israeli Foreign Minister, the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, the EU high representative and the UN emergency relief co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher. We are using every piece of influence that we can to try to get aid reinstated; we think the humanitarian situation is dire and getting more serious by the day, so we will continue to do that.

We are working on technical assistance with the Palestinian Authority. I met with the Finance Minister last week, and I know these are serious people trying to do the right thing in incredibly difficult circumstances. It is important that we continue to support people who want to see a peaceful resolution and a two-state solution, and I am glad that we are able to do what we can there. We have secured just over £100 million in aid to support that work but, as of today, the main concern that we all have is getting the remaining hostages released, reinstating the ceasefire and ensuring access for aid back into Gaza.