Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British citizens were taken hostage during the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Two British nationals were taken hostage during the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023. The UK Government was greatly saddened to hear about the death of Nadav Popplewell who had been held in captivity and was declared deceased in June 2024. For some the nightmare continues, with hostages still cruelly held by Hamas, including one British national, Emily Damari, and three with strong British links. All the hostages remain a priority to me and the entire Ministerial team and we will continue to work tirelessly for their release.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to respond to Hezbollah military activity against Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working in lockstep with our allies to deescalate tensions and urge all parties to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. All sides must show restraint and work to prevent escalation. The Prime Minister spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 20 August. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Aragchi on 23 August, and with Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer on 25 August. The Foreign Secretary has also had calls with other key partners including Egypt, Jordan and the UAE to press these messages. The Government will continue to support Israel's security and to urge Israel and Lebanon to engage with the US-led discussions to resolve their disagreements diplomatically and reach a political settlement.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the strategic role of Gibraltar, in the context of the negotiations with the EU on the Gibraltar-Spain border.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK Government is clear that any agreement will preserve the operational autonomy of the military facilities in Gibraltar. The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Defence have discussed and are unequivocal on this. Ministry of Defence officials are fully involved in our approach to the negotiations.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what his Department's expected timetable is for concluding negotiations with the EU on Gibraltar.
Answered by David Rutley
UK-EU negotiations began in October 2021 and there have been 18 formal rounds. The Foreign Secretary, together with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picard, met European Commission Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares in Brussels on Friday 12 April. General political lines were agreed, including on the airport, goods and mobility. Negotiations will continue over the coming weeks to seek to conclude the UK-EU Agreement as soon as possible.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with his Gibraltarian counterpart on self-determination in Gibraltar, in the context of negotiations with the EU on the Gibraltar-Spain border.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK Government is working side-by-side with the Chief Minister and Government of Gibraltar in our efforts to conclude a UK-EU treaty. The UK Government is clear that the people of Gibraltar enjoy the right of self-determination. The 2006 Gibraltar Constitution - which was endorsed in referendum by the people of Gibraltar - provides for a modern and mature relationship between Gibraltar and the UK. The UK Government will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with (a) relevant stakeholders and (b) his international counterparts on reported terror activity within and near United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) facilities in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK takes allegations of neutrality violations extremely seriously, including any incidents related to UN installations. The FCDO also monitors this closely through our annual assessment of UNRWA. When violations have been identified, UNRWA has taken action, including raising the issue with relevant parties.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General. Their independent investigations include assessment of the policies and systems UNRWA has in place to ensure neutrality.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Palestinian counterpart on the content of Palestinian Authority textbooks.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We regularly discuss issues relating to the curriculum and textbooks with counterparts including in the Palestinian Authority (PA). The UK-supported 2021 review of the Palestinian Authority (PA) curriculum found improvements in content, with previously flagged materials removed. We need to see further curriculum reform from the PA, and we continue to raise this with them regularly.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recent report from the Israel Defence Force's Colonel Elad Shushan on the presence of weapons at civilian sites.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware of reports of Hamas using schools and other infrastructure for their operations. We are strongly condemn Hamas' ongoing use of civilian areas. By embedding themselves in the civilian population and civilian infrastructure, Hamas is putting Palestinian civilians at grave risk. We have been clear that for a lasting peace, removing Hamas' capacity to continue launching attacks against Israel and ensuring Hamas is no longer in charge of Gaza are both vital steps.
However, we also remain deeply concerned about the impact of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations on the civilian population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister have underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on Hamas’s placement of military infrastructure within civilian areas.
Answered by Leo Docherty
It is clear that Hamas has put Palestinians at grave risk by embedding themselves in the civilian population, and Hamas has used civilians as human shields. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 23 November, where he met President Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Cohen and other senior Israeli interlocutors to discuss the conflict. However, we are not going to specifically comment on individual locations. Israel has a legitimate right to self-defence against Hamas but the Israel Defense Forces military actions in Gaza must be carried out in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and Israel must take all possible measures to protect civilians.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implication for his polices of reported anti-Semitic comments by the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in the context of the Middle East Peace Process.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK condemns the recent antisemitic remarks made by President Abbas. The UK stands firmly against all attempts to distort the Holocaust. Such statements do not advance efforts towards reconciliation. President Abbas' comments are completely unacceptable and can only serve to exacerbate tensions and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution that is in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians. Officials at the British Consulate General in Jerusalem have raised this matter with the Palestinian Authority and the Foreign Secretary intends to do the same during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.