Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Burgon Excerpts

Tuesday 30th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Gordon McKee (Glasgow South) (Lab)]

4. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

[Richard Burgon (Leeds East) (Ind)]

5. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

[Deirdre Costigan (Ealing Southall) (Lab)]

6. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

--- Later in debate ---

[Anneliese Dodds]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. We are deeply concerned at a number of the developments he mentions. The UK is providing, and will continue to provide, significant humanitarian support to Gaza. However, we are also clear that Israel must meet its commitment to “flood Gaza with aid”—that is vital.

[Richard Burgon]

I very much welcome the Foreign Secretary’s decisions on the International Criminal Court and on UNRWA funding. This morning I met Oxfam, which told me and other Members that, when Parliament is in recess this summer, up to 7,000 people in Gaza will be killed or injured—up to a third of them children. Given that, will the Minister outline what urgent steps the Government will take this summer to end this horror, including ending UK arms sales to Israel?

[Anneliese Dodds]

Too many people have died in Gaza and too little aid is getting in. We are clear that Israel must take concrete steps to protect civilians and aid workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law. This includes deconfliction between military and humanitarian operations, and supporting the minimum operating requirements of the UN agencies, as well, of course, as the other matters my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary laid out, including the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

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[Richard Burgon (Leeds East) (Ind)]

T7. Following the recent rulings by the International Court of Justice, what steps are the Government taking to ensure that Israel complies with its international legal obligations?

[Mr Lammy]

My hon. Friend has taken up these issues time and again in the House. Let me make it clear that the expansion we have seen this year is entirely unacceptable—it is more than the last 20 years combined. We are keeping these issues under review and, of course, I raised them with Prime Minister Netanyahu when I saw him in Israel.