US National Security Strategy
Pam Cox Excerpts(3 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Seema Malhotra
Ultimately it is for the US to set its own strategy, but when it comes to Europe, there are some things with which we agree, such as the importance of sustaining freedom and security, and some with which we have disagreed. We see a strong Europe that is coming together, working together on security and prosperity, and working together to increase defence spending. That is important. It is also important that we respect the US as a democracy, and that friends and allies respect each other’s choices. We will always continue to have strong and robust relationships with our relevant counter- parts in the United States. We will work together on areas of mutual interest—our economic prosperity, our security and our work across the world—but robust political debate must always happen in a respectful environment.
Pam Cox (Colchester) (Lab)
On European security, I give my strong support to the position taken by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary in relation to the recent Ukraine peace proposals. Does the Minister agree that there can be no deal affecting Ukraine without Ukraine, and that any deal that rewards Putin’s aggression cannot proceed?
Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations
Pam Cox Excerpts(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Irene Campbell
Some of what my hon. Friend has raised will be said later in this debate. As I said previously, it will be important to hear the Minister’s response to today’s debate.
Humanitarian aid reaching Gaza has been intermittent, starting and stopping repeatedly. Since the ceasefire, only a fraction of promised aid has actually reached Gaza. I agree with the conclusion of the UN independent international commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which stated:
“Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
On 22 August 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed that a famine is taking place in the Gaza governorate, and that more than half a million people face
“catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death.”
It also found that restricted access to humanitarian and commercial supplies of food and other essentials was a key driver of famine, saying:
“Since mid-March, access to both humanitarian and commercial supplies of food and other essential goods—including water, medicine, shelter and fuel—has remained critically restricted. A ‘tactical pause’ announced on 27 July failed to improve conditions as violence continued throughout the Strip—including airstrikes, shelling, and shooting.”
Pam Cox (Colchester) (Lab)
In October this year, I was pleased, along with other parliamentarians, to meet a senior member of UNRWA as part of our work with the British group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He told us how vital it was that UNRWA’s programme of aid be fully restored, given the conditions that my hon. Friend and others have described. Would she agree that it is vital to restore the programme in full?
Irene Campbell
I fully agree with that point.
The director general of the World Health Organisation stated:
“There are no fully-functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 are functioning at all.”
He also said:
“If you take the famine and combine it with a mental health problem, which we see is rampant, then the situation is a crisis for generations to come.”
The public health report of 13 November attributed the weakened healthcare system to ongoing attacks and resource shortages. The World Health Organisation also found that there is a chronic shortage of essential medical equipment and medicines. Additionally, ongoing fuel shortages in Gaza have restricted the mobility of humanitarian aid and healthcare workers.
As we approach winter and the weather gets colder, the need for humanitarian aid is intensifying. The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that heavy rain has already affected over 13,000 households across the Gaza strip, including hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters. As time passes, the need for items such as tents, blankets and tarps will only increase.
On 6 November, the United Nations stated that the Israeli authorities have rejected more than 100 requests to bring relief materials into Gaza since the ceasefire began. The UN further stated that:
“Since 10 October, more than 6,490 MT”—
metric tonnes—
“of UN-coordinated relief materials have been denied entry into Gaza. Of these, over 3,700 MT were rejected on the grounds that the organisations were not authorized to bring relief items into Gaza.”