Tuesday 15th October 2024

(1 day, 15 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The UK Government have been absolutely clear. Israel must act in accordance with international humanitarian law and must take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties. We continue to urge Israel to fulfil its promise to flood Gaza with aid, and we urge Israel to permit immediate and unfettered access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to detention centres. The Foreign Secretary and other Ministers will continue to raise these issues with the Israeli Government. My hon. Friend must surely be aware that, following a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law in respect of its activity in Gaza, the Government suspended around 30 export licences to Israel.

Richard Tice Portrait Richard Tice (Boston and Skegness) (Reform)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

We all want the killings to stop, we abhor the deaths, and we all want a ceasefire as soon as possible, but clearly the fastest way to a ceasefire is for Hamas to return the hostages, and for Hamas and Hezbollah to stop attacking Israel with missiles. That is the fastest way to a ceasefire. The western nations have failed to convince those proscribed terror organisations—this House appears to have forgotten about that—to stop making these attacks. Israel has concluded, therefore, that the fastest way to defend itself and ensure the safety of the region is to destroy Hamas and destroy Hezbollah.

Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I have to say that I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman’s characterisation, certainly of the UK Government’s leadership on these issues. The UK Government have been absolutely clear that we must see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, a flood of aid into Gaza, and, ultimately, the two-state solution that the people of Israel and Palestinians so rightly deserve.