Oral Answers to Questions

Kenny MacAskill Excerpts

Monday 20th May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Leo Docherty]

Yes, we are.

[Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) (Alba)]

5. Whether he plans to review the UK and Israel military co-operation agreement 2020.

[The Minister for Armed Forces (Leo Docherty)]

An agreement for UK-Israel military co-operation was signed in December 2020. There are no current plans for the agreement to be updated, but we continually review it to ensure that it remains relevant.

[Kenny MacAskill]

The rector of Glasgow University, who is an eminent Palestinian surgeon, has been narrating the horrors of the requirement to operate, and even perform amputations, on children—often without morphine—in Gaza. He has also detailed the horrors of the use of white phosphorus munitions. White phosphorus ignites during surgery when exposed to the atmosphere and requires dousing, including during complicated operations. Why are we in a military pact with military forces that carry out such actions? If the Minister will not repudiate the pact entirely, will he ensure that the use of white phosphorus munitions in our name is not acceptable?

[Leo Docherty]

Of course it is not. We have no role in that, and we see no evidence of the prospect of that being used. We should focus on our confidence that Israel is an important ally, which means that we can make the point that the protection of civilians is of the utmost importance. We should also remember that at the heart of this conflict is the fact that if peace is to be achieved, Hamas need to lay down their arms and release the hostages.