West Bank: Forced Displacement

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd July 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North (Martin Rhodes) for securing this gravely urgent and important debate.

Last month, we welcomed the Government sanctions on Israeli Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. These two men, at the heart of the Israeli Government, have celebrated violence, ethnic cleansing and the forced displacement of Palestinians who have already lost so much; of Palestinians who have seen their family and friends murdered; of Palestinians who have seen their homes destroyed; of Palestinians who have seen the lives they once knew and loved turned into rubble. These vile men have not just celebrated such violations of international law: they are part of the Israeli authorities orchestrating the bombing, the killing and the destruction.

Some 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from the three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem. These refugee camps are not homes, but a last resort, yet Palestinians have faced violence and brutality in them, too. The scale of suffering is unimaginable—40,000 Palestinians. Israeli authorities have been not just targeting refugee camps but demolishing homes. In the last two years, over 6,000 Palestinians have had to flee their homes as they were demolished, with the memories, the comforts and the safety of their homes cruelly turned to rubble.

Palestinians are being killed, starved into submission and stripped of every basic human necessity—left without even a sip of water or a scrap of bread to survive. Yet there is more rubble, more land grabs and more forced displacement, all celebrated by politicians in the Israeli Government. The Israeli Government’s end goal is, it would seem, to exterminate Gazans, destroy their land and wipe out any trace of Palestinian people’s existence.

When does this end? How does it end? I strongly urge the Government to go further and faster in pushing the pressure on Israel. I urge them to consider further sanctions on Israel, pressure Israel to end its denial of aid and recognise the state of Palestine immediately. We must keep the pressure on for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. This is how we start to end the brutality, how we give some respite and hope to the Palestinians who are still alive, and how we stand up for those who have nothing left.

Air India Plane Crash

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Monday 16th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s work in Derby on this—those photos are heartbreaking, particularly the one she mentions that so many in this House will have seen. We are trying to support Indian investigations in two areas: in relation to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and through our disaster victim identification service, which is also on the ground. This is a truly horrific tragedy, and we are doing all we can to try to understand how it happened, and to support those affected as quickly as possible.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his statement, and all the first responders who were on the scene. I thank the British involvement in helping the Indian authorities. When this is all over, and attention has shifted away, will our officials be there until our residents are satisfied that we have done all that we can for the Indian authorities?

[Mr Falconer]

I confirm that we will provide British families with all the support they require during this horrific incident.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Tuesday 10th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

The hon. Gentleman asks a vital question. That was one of the central focuses of the visit of the Palestinian Prime Minister to the UK and the memorandum of understanding that we agreed with him. We welcome the recent statements of the Palestinian Authority on vital reforms, including on the so-called pay-for-slay provisions for welfare, and their statement in recent days that Hamas must have no role in the future governance of Gaza.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

I certainly welcome the sanctions against the two Israeli Ministers, but collective responsibility dictates that the whole Cabinet is complicit, and the sanctions should perhaps have gone further. Human rights abuses are happening right in front of us. Settler violence has reached a record high. Illegal settlements are being constructed. Over 55,000 innocent men, women and children have died. Humanitarian aid is being cruelly withheld. Does the Minister agree that the recognition of the Palestinian state must be the next step?

[Mr Falconer]

I thank my hon. Friend for his commitment to these issues. I will not add to the answers on recognition that I have already given, nor will I speculate further on where future sanctions might be targeted.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lammy]

I have heard what my hon. Friend has said. He will know that the Prime Minister has said that there might well have to be further action, but we urge the Israeli Government to step back from what they are doing. Of course, we continue to condemn the extremist language used by the Israeli Government, such as “ethnic cleansing”.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s condemnation of the illegal actions and vile words used by the Israeli Government. It is heartening and humane to hold Israel accountable for its slaughter of innocent Palestinians, the withholding of aid, settler expansion and its shameless plans to “conquer, cleanse and stay” in Gaza. We need action to show that we will not tolerate this indiscriminate violence, which is effectively ethnic cleansing. Does my right hon. Friend agree that our next step should be to recognise the state of Palestine? Will he outline what actions he will take to stop the impending deaths by starvation?

[Mr Lammy]

My hon. Friend’s question mirrors what is felt across this House: concern for the children, the issue of recognition and, of course, the action—not, I suspect, just by the United Kingdom—that is necessary from the international community.

India-Pakistan: Escalation

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Wednesday 7th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

Our priority is to ensure direct contact between India and Pakistan and to ensure that those tensions are directly de-escalated. We are of course very proud that we are Commonwealth members with both India and Pakistan, and that Commonwealth membership reflects a deep and unique history between the UK and India and the UK and Pakistan. We welcome the free trade agreement that was announced yesterday, and of course these are close, deep friendships between both the countries involved. We will, in all our efforts, seek to restore regional stability and we will do that with both our friends.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for your advice on tempering our language in here, because words have consequences. I thank the Minister for his statement and the Foreign Secretary for all the work that they are doing in the background. Yesterday in this House, we celebrated the end of world war two and I commended the role of the British Indian troops—now known as India and Pakistan—who fought shoulder to shoulder, with their shoulder to the wheel, to ensure that we, the allied troops, won and world war two was ended. As someone with Indian heritage, born in India and whose parents were born in Pakistan, I know only too well that neither nation will take a backward step, so what can the Minister do to assure me and my residents in Ilford South that we will do everything possible to bring both the superpowers to the negotiating table to restore peace to this volatile part of the world?

[Mr Falconer]

I thank my hon. Friend for the sensitive and personal tone that he brings to his remarks. I, too, have seen the Commonwealth war graves in Pakistan and India, which are a tribute to the service of many from the British Indian forces that fought in world war two. I can assure him and his constituents that we will do everything we can to play our full diplomatic role.

Middle East Update

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Tuesday 6th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

My hon. Friend is right that permanent occupation of Gaza would be a grievous blow to a two-state solution. Clearly, the Gaza strip should be a central part of a Palestinian state, and I can assure him that we continue to keep all these matters under close review.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his statement. It is crucial that there is recognition of the Palestinian state and that the Palestinian people are represented as equals at the negotiating table. Given what has gone on in the region recently, does the Minister agree that Israel must immediately lift all restrictions on aid and allow unfettered access to humanitarian assistance in Gaza? If Israel refuses, what levers can we use to save innocent lives?

[Mr Falconer]

My hon. Friend is right about the critical nature of the aid shortages in Gaza. The World Food Programme has been clear that it is running out of all stocks to sustain life, and it is vital that the Israelis reverse their path and allow aid back into the strip.

Kashmir: Increasing Tension

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

I think the hon. Gentleman’s question is: will I condemn the existence of British Indian and British Pakistani communities? No, I won’t. There is tension between those communities and I have called for calm. If he is asking me whether I think there has been too much immigration over the last 14 years, yes indeed—[Interruption.] I am very happy to take guidance from Mr Speaker on what the question was.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his statement. I would also like to associate myself with the condemnation of this horrific and cowardly attack on innocent people. Ilford South is home to a large diaspora of Indian and Pakistani descent. Following the horrific murder of the 26 tourists, whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time when the terrorists orchestrated their heinous attack, India points the finger at Pakistan and Pakistan denies any involvement. Both are nuclear powers. What steps are the Government taking to de-escalate this particular situation?

[Mr Falconer]

As I have said, we have been engaged with both states extensively over the past few days. We are taking all the steps we can to ensure that heightened tensions do not lead to the risk of uncontrolled escalation.

Israel: Refusal of Entry for UK Parliamentarians

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Monday 7th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

To be clear, they were granted entry clearance, rather than a visa. The distinction may seem academic to this House, given that both would have permitted my hon. Friends to travel to the airport. Clearly, it was not a surprise to the Israeli authorities that they arrived.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

I share the anger of most Members of this House. It is completely unacceptable that two Members of this House were denied entry to the occupied territories in the west bank by the Israeli authorities. Does the Minister agree that more than ever, now is the time to be united and show solidarity across the House with our parliamentarians, whose only mistake was to do their jobs by representing their constituents without fear or favour in this House and holding Israel accountable for its actions?

[Mr Falconer]

I can confirm that I would like to see unity across the House on such matters, and that any parliamentarian, of any political party, would enjoy the support of the Foreign Office under such circumstances.

Palestinian Rights: Government Support

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Tuesday 4th March 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I extend my thanks to the Father of the House, the right hon. Member for Gainsborough (Sir Edward Leigh), for ensuring that this important debate took place.

Gaza is not a political football. It is home to 2 million people, and the west bank is home to 3 million. Five million people’s lives are impacted. Gazans are not pawns to be used in any game. Gaza is home to millions of innocent people. Have they not suffered enough? This conflict in their homes has devasted communities, decimated entire areas and destroyed countless lives. Yet the first phase of the ceasefire has expired, weakening the hopes of innocent civilians because that process hangs by a thread.

The coming days are critical. Every time progress stalls, the stakes grow higher. Humanitarian aid falters, rebuilding efforts crumble and a return to the levels of bloodshed, violence and tragedy we saw just weeks ago looms closer. As my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford and Bow (Uma Kumaran) and the hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) said, the stakes are so high. The degradation of the Palestinian people and the untold amount of bloodshed must not continue. We must call it out for what it is.

More families are being torn apart. Children are left without vital food and water, and more lives are left in limbo with little relief in sight. Gazans are living with uncertainty on all sides. They are uncertain if Israel will allow aid in, uncertain if they will ever rebuild their homes, and uncertain if they will ever have a land of their own. How many more Palestinian lives must be lost before we finally them afford them the same respect and dignity that is afforded to others?

The next few days and weeks are crucial. We cannot allow this deal to break down. We must continue the fight for a two-state solution. The Father of the House, the right hon. Member for Gainsborough, is absolutely right when he says we must keep up the pressure. We must shine a light on this tragedy so it is never forgotten. Palestinians need a safe and secure state, alongside a safe and secure Israel.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Wednesday 12th February 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Dame Siobhain.

The conflict in Gaza has undoubtedly devastated communities, decimated areas and destroyed countless lives. Each and every day, the death toll rises as further lives are extinguished. Futures are lost forever. Our Government have worked extensively with the international community to support a desperately needed ceasefire in the region—and of course, we can always do more.

The ceasefire was hard fought and painstakingly negotiated, but finally it delivered not only peace but hope. Along with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, we welcomed a ceasefire that I know brought some small comfort to my constituents in Ilford South. After 15 months of death, destruction and violence, we have witnessed hostages returning to their families and prisoners being freed in exchange. Too often in such immense tragedies, when the scale of destruction is so severe, individuals are forgotten. When we talk of death tolls—raw numbers—the son, the husband, the brother and the father are lost. Seeing the hostages and prisoners being reunited with loved ones brings into stark reality the human cost of ongoing violence in the region.

As we stand here today, the ceasefire hangs in jeopardy less than two weeks after it was announced. The lives and liberty of so many hang in the balance. Gaza is not a political tool; Gaza is home to millions of Palestinians. As the Prime Minister said recently, Palestinians “must be allowed home”.

We cannot revert back to the violence. We cannot accept further death and destruction. We know that the only viable solution to unrest in the region is a free Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. To support anything else would be to tolerate further suffering and violation of international law.