Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 12th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

15. What recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Israel on the number of civilian deaths in Gaza.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

21. What recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Israel on the situation in Gaza.

[Neil O’Brien (Harborough) (Con)]

22. What steps he is taking to support civilians in Gaza.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Mitchell]

As the hon. Lady will know, not least from the urgent question asked in the House yesterday by the right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy), neither the Government nor the Opposition believe that a ceasefire is the right way to proceed. However, I can tell her that we are very heavily engaged in what is happening in these Security Council resolutions, and the Security Council permanent members were at Rafah yesterday, looking in detail at the situation on the ground.

[Jeff Smith]

There has to be a ceasefire to protect civilians in Gaza. Does the Minister agree with the US Secretary for Defence when he said that

“protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative”,

and that

“if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat”?

Are the Government making those representations to the Israeli Government?