Gaza: Humanitarian Situation

Seamus Logan Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Doughty]

I certainly can say more, and I am pleased that my hon. Friend welcomes the regime. He rightly talks about some of the additional powers that we have taken in the GHR and IHL regimes. We are working at pace to bring in the wider settlement trade ban. The Foreign Secretary said it will take six to nine months, but I hope we can be at the earlier end of that spectrum. We need to ensure that the regime is effective, proportionate and that it has an impact on deterring and disrupting those who are expanding and facilitating the settlements. The Foreign Secretary has been very clear about the message to businesses and others involved in that. We are also ensuring that the regime has the appropriate religious considerations in place, and that it does not affect trade with green line Israel, which we of course continue to support.

[Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) (SNP)]

The scale of the humanitarian catastrophe is enormous. I note the Minister’s outrage, but I fear that some of his estimates are below the figures that I am receiving—1.4 million people are now living in tents. I welcome the aid that the UK Government are providing, but it is of no consequence if it is sitting on the border, unable to get in. That is the problem. Why has the Israeli ambassador not been summoned to the Foreign Office to account for those illegal actions? The aid is needed this weekend—not in a month or a week’s time. If entry is not opened over the weekend, what action will the Government take on Monday?

[Stephen Doughty]

As I said, we are raising those issues directly with the Israeli Government, both in Tel Aviv and with the Israeli embassy here, as well as with the other agencies involved, so I can assure him on that point. Obviously, we listen to partners on the ground as to the scale of the figures. A number of items of the aid that we provided have got in, and agencies are able to deliver some services, but the fact is, as the hon. Member rightly says, it is simply not enough. A staggering number of tents, tarpaulins and other things are being blocked, and the continued failure to open points such as Erez, and the closure at Kerem Shalom, are doing nothing to help the situation; they are making it worse. Open those points, remove the dual-use restrictions in the way that we have suggested, and get that assistance in. It is absolutely critical.